STALIN'S LOST CALL.

The article focuses on a brief but consequential telephone call in 1934 between Soviet leader Joseph Stalin and Russian poet Boris Pasternak concerning the arrest of fellow poet Osip Mandelstam. The content of their conversation remains unclear, with multiple conflicting second-hand accounts suggesting Pasternak was either evasive or cautious in his response, which may have influenced Mandelstam’s harsh fate, including exile and eventual death in custody. The article explores the complex pressures Pasternak faced under Stalin’s repressive regime, highlighting debates over whether Pasternak could have done more to help Mandelstam or was primarily protecting himself. It also considers the lasting ambiguity and contested legacy surrounding Pasternak’s role in this episode within the broader context of Soviet literary repression.