Yulian Semyonovich Semyonov , pen-name of Yulian Semyonovich Lyandres (October 8, 1931 - September 5, 1993), was a Soviet and Russia

Russia

Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

n writer of spy fiction

Spy fiction

Spy fiction, literature concerning the forms of espionage, was a sub-genre derived from the novel during the nineteenth century, which then evolved into a discrete genre before the First World War , when governments established modern intelligence agencies in the early twentieth century...

 and crime fiction

Crime fiction

Crime fiction is the literary genre that fictionalizes crimes, their detection, criminals and their motives. It is usually distinguished from mainstream fiction and other genres such as science fiction or historical fiction, but boundaries can be, and indeed are, blurred...

.

Career

In 1968, Semyonov wrote the ideologically unorthodox novel The Seventeen Instants of Spring, a story of a Russian spy, "Stirlitz

Stirlitz

Max Otto von Stierlitz is the lead character in a popular Russian book series written in the 1960s by novelist Julian Semyonov and of the television adaptation Seventeen Moments of Spring, starring Vyacheslav Tikhonov, as well as in feature films, produced in the Soviet era, and in a number of...

", during 17 days at the very end of World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. It was published in English initially under the title The Himmler Ploy, but later published again under the title Seventeen Instants of Spring. It was also produced as a TV series Seventeen Instants of Spring which became immensely popular and created Stirlitz jokes which survived the dissolution of the Soviet Union

Soviet Union

The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....

. The novel and the screenplay gave unprecedented humanity and depth to its Nazi characters. This was helped further by the exceptional performances by the first-rate actors cast in the series. "Stirlitz" is a composite of various Soviet agents.

Semyonov also wrote several novels about a White

White movement

The White movement and its military arm the White Army - known as the White Guard or the Whites - was a loose confederation of Anti-Communist forces.The movement comprised one of the politico-military Russian forces who fought...

 émigré spy

SPY

SPY is a three-letter acronym that may refer to:* SPY , ticker symbol for Standard & Poor's Depositary Receipts* SPY , a satirical monthly, trademarked all-caps* SPY , airport code for San Pédro, Côte d'Ivoire...

 sent to the Soviet Union

Soviet Union

The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....

. After the success of Seventeen Instants, Semyonov created a large cycle of political detective novels featuring Stirlitz, as well as a series of novels about Felix Dzerzhinsky. He also published detective fiction

Detective fiction

Detective fiction is a sub-genre of crime fiction and mystery fiction in which an investigator , either professional or amateur, investigates a crime, often murder.-In ancient literature:...

, e.g. a series of novels on the militiaman polkovnik

Polkovnik

Polkovnik is often a military rank in Slavic countries which corresponds to a colonel in English-speaking states. However, in the Ukraine, polkovnyk was an administrative rank similar to a governor...

 Kostenko (“Ogaryov street 6”).

He started the newspaper Sovershenno sekretno ("Top secret") and worked as its editor-in-chief, together with Artyom Borovik

Artyom Borovik

Artyom Genrikhovich Borovik was a prominent Russian journalist and media magnate. He was the son of a Soviet journalist, Genrikh Borovik, who worked for many years as a foreign correspondent in the U.S.-Journalism:...

.

Death

He suffered a stroke

Stroke

A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...

 on October 16, 1990, and remained almost unable to speak and bedridden during last three years of his life. According to investigative journalist Vladimir Solovyov

Vladimir Solovyov (journalist)

Vladimir Rudol'fovich Solovyov is a popular Russian TV and radio journalist. He graduated from the Moscow Institute of Steel and Alloys and completed post-doc position at the Institute of World Economy and International Relations...

, Semyonov was actually poisoned by the KGB to prevent him from publishing materials about the collaboration of Moscow Patriarch Alexius II and other Russian Orthodox Church

Russian Orthodox Church

The Russian Orthodox Church or, alternatively, the Moscow Patriarchate The ROC is often said to be the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the world; including all the autocephalous churches under its umbrella, its adherents number over 150 million worldwide—about half of the 300 million...

 officials with the KGB. Soloviev referred to information provided by Artyom Borovik. The material (a video tape) was allegedly prepared by priest Alexander Men

Alexander Men

Father Alexander Vladimirovich Men was a Russian Orthodox theologian, Biblical scholar and writer.Father Alexander wrote dozen of books ; baptized hundreds if not thousands; founded an Orthodox Open University; opened one of the first Sunday Schools in...

, who was killed by unknown assassins at the same time. The materials were published later by Gleb Yakunin

Gleb Yakunin

Gleb Pavlovich Yakunin is Russian priest and dissident who fought for the freedom of conscience in the Soviet Union. He was member of Moscow Helsinki Group, and he was elected to Russian Parliaments from 1990 to 1999.-Life:...

, who was given access to KGB files as a member of the Lev Ponomarev commission.

Selected Bibliography

• Petrovka 38 (1965)
• Ogoreva, 6
• Confrontation
• Burning; International Knot
• Irreconcilability
• Press Center
• Auction
• Versions
• Death of Stolypin
• Diplomatic Agent
• Dunechka and Nikita
• Face to Face
• Scientific Commentary
• He Killed Me Near Luang-Prabang
• Crossings
• Pseudonym
• Peter's Death
• The Secret of Kutovsky Prospect
• Tass Is Authorized to Announce (1987)
• Reporter (1987)

Stirlitz

Stirlitz

Max Otto von Stierlitz is the lead character in a popular Russian book series written in the 1960s by novelist Julian Semyonov and of the television adaptation Seventeen Moments of Spring, starring Vyacheslav Tikhonov, as well as in feature films, produced in the Soviet era, and in a number of...

 Series

(In chronological order)

• No Password Needed (1966)
• Diamonds for the Dictatorship of the Proletariat (1974)
• Tenderness (1966)
• Spanish Variant (1973)
• Alternative (1978)
• Third Card (1973)
• Major Whirlwind (1968)
• Seventeen Moments of Spring (1969) (aka: The Seventeen Instants of Spring & originally published as The Himmler Ploy)
• The Order to Survive (1982)
• Expansion (Parts 1 - 3) (1984)
• Despair (1990)
• Bomb for the Chairman (1970)

External links

• Encyclopedia of Soviet Writers