Akhmatova 's work ranges from short lyric poems to intricately structured cycles , such as '' Requiem '' ( 1935 – 40 ) , her tragic masterpiece about the Stalinist terror . Her style , characterised by its economy and emotional restraint , was strikingly original and distinctive to her contemporaries . The strong and clear leading female voice struck a new chord in Russian poetry . Her writing can be said to fall into two periods – the early work ( 1912 – 25 ) and her later work ( from around 1936 until her death ) , divided by a decade of reduced literary output . Her work was condemned and censored by Stalinist authorities and she is notable for choosing not to emigrate , and remaining in Russia , acting as witness to the events around her . Her perennial themes include meditations on time and memory , and the difficulties of living and writing in the shadow of Stalinism
Stalinist terror
Great Purge
Anna Akhmatova