Agniya L’vovna Barto (Getel Leybovna Volova) was born into the family of a doctor in Moscow on February, 4th, 1906. The girl got her elementary education with private tutors at home, and then entered a grammar school, and also attended a choreographic school. This is when she started writing poems also.

Agniya Barto had her first verses published in 1925. Most of her poems were intended for children. The poetess believed that her writings would help to bring up honest, highly cultured, and patriotic citizens. Her next published books of poetry were “Brothers” (1928), and “Boy other way round” (1934). They were followed with “Toys” two years later, and then “Bullfinch” in 1939.

When the Great Patriotic War started, the poetess shifted to poems on military themes. After the end of the war Agniya traveled, including Bulgaria, England, and Japan. After publication of other poetry books, namely “First-grader” and “Cheerful verses” Agniya Barto wrote several film scripts, among them the famous The Foundling (1939) (co-authored with Rina Zelyonaya), and Looking for a Man (1973). Among Barto’s other works there are books Looking for a Man” and “Notes of a Children's Poet”.