Yulian Semenov, whose brief biography is presented below, is one of the pioneers of the journalistic investigation genre in our country. Possessing a remarkable writing talent, he was able to go beyond writing propaganda articles in order to reveal the secrets of history and reveal the dark sides of the life of Soviet society. In addition, he became known to the general public through the film adaptation of his novels, such as Seventeen Moments of Spring and Petrovka 38.
A family
Julian Semenovich Lyandres, and this is what the real name of the writer sounds like, was born in 1931 in Moscow. His mother - Galina Nikolaevna Nozdrina - was a history teacher and instilled in her son a love for solving the mysteries of the past. As for his father, Semyon Alexandrovich Lyandres was a major specialist in publishing and an editor. In 1952, he was unreasonably repressed on charges of aiding Bukharin. The son, as he could, stood up for his father, which could lead him to jail. However, the era of Stalinism and repression ended, and Semyon Landers not only returned to Moscow ahead of schedule, but also took a leading position in Gostlitizdat.
Study
In 1948, Julian Lyndres entered the Moscow Institute of Oriental Studies, where he met and made friends with a very young then Evgeny Primakov, who still had to occupy the top posts in the USSR and the Russian Federation. After graduating from the alma mater in 1953, Yu. Landers taught Pashto language at Moscow State University and, at the same time, studied at its Faculty of History.
The beginning of professional activity
Since 1955, Yu. Landers began to work as a journalist. His articles and essays were published in such famous Soviet periodicals as Ogonyok, Pravda, Literaturnaya Gazeta, Komsomolskaya Pravda, and Smena. However, he traveled extensively throughout the USSR and traveled to hot spots. Around this period, he had to take a pseudonym for himself on behalf of his father, as the editors considered his real surname dissonant and recommended that he be changed.
In 1959, while working in Afghanistan, Julian Semenov, whose biography contains many unknown pages, wrote his first major literary work, which was a political detective on the activities of the first Russian diplomatic envoy Ivan Vitkevich in Kabul.
In 1960, rather early for his age, Semenov became a member of the Union of Writers of the USSR. Among his most interesting debut works are short stories “My heart is in the mountains”, “Rain in the drainpipes”, “Farewell to the beloved woman”, etc.
Before perestroika
From 1962 to 1967, Yulian Semenov (a biography in his youth is presented above) was a member of the editorial board of the journal Moscow. At the same time, he worked a lot abroad: in France, Spain, East Germany, Cuba, Japan, the USA and Latin America.
By the nature of his journalistic activities, he traveled to the taiga, where he met tiger hunters, at the construction of the BAM, at the polar station, at the opening of the diamond pipe, as well as in many hot spots and in the thick of political events unfolding in Afghanistan, Spain, and Chile, Cuba and Paraguay. In particular, in Latin America, Julian Semenov, whose biography still contains many secrets, was engaged in the search for the Nazis, who escaped trial as war criminals, and emigrated to Latin America.
Amber Room Quest
For many years, Yulian Semenov (the biography of the writer during the years of perestroika is presented below) was engaged in the search and return of cultural property that the Nazis exported from the USSR during the Second World War. To this end, he created the International Committee, which included Georges Simenon, Georg Stein, James Aldridge and other famous politicians, writers and public figures. One of the most important activities of this organization was the search for the Amber Room, in which Baron E. von Falz-Fein actively helped him. Although the search for this masterpiece of arts and crafts was not successful, he subsequently wrote the book Face to Face. In addition, as a result of the work of the International Committee, the ashes of F.I. Chaliapin, a significant part of the collection of books by Diaghilev-Lifar, as well as a tapestry depicting the family of the last Russian Tsar, taken out of the Livadia Palace and other cultural values were returned to their homeland.
last years of life
Perestroika was greeted with enthusiasm by Julian Semenov. He longed for change, however, according to relatives, he certainly did not foresee and did not want the collapse of the USSR.
In 1988, the writer, together with V. Livanov and V. Solomin, founded the Detective Theater. It was located in the building of the Central House of Officers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation. It put on contemporary action plays and plays for children. Unfortunately, this offspring of a journalist did not have a happy fate, and in 1992, when Yulian Semenov, whose biography you already know, was bedridden, he was shut down due to a conflict with the landlord.
In 1989, the writer established the first private publication in the USSR - the top secret bulletin. To develop his concept and pilot number, he hired APN journalist A. Pleshkov and the host of the television program “Vzglyad” E. Dodolev.
Literary activity
Julian Semenovich Semenov, whose biography is already known to you, has written many action-packed novels, of which the most famous are works dedicated to Isaev-Stirlitz. Their creation was prompted by a note found in the archives, in which a certain agent of Dzerzhinsky was mentioned. In total, in the series of works about the elusive scout, there are 14 novels. Some of them, including the famous "17 Moments of Spring" were filmed.
The hero of another well-known series of works by Semenov is journalist Dmitry Stepanov. The author attached features of himself to this hero, and the novels themselves are partially autobiographical.
In the literary heritage of Semenov there are also several plays, two collections of short stories, 5 novel versions relating to the deaths of famous people, as well as many journalistic works.
Illness and death
In 1990, a journalist suddenly had a stroke, and he was bedridden. Attempts to restore health did not give any result, and the writer Julian Semenov, whose biography, especially regarding his cooperation with the KGB of the USSR has not yet been fully explored, died in the capital in 1993.
His sudden illness caused many rumors, and even the closest people did not believe in its natural origin. In particular, the daughter of Julian Semenov in a documentary dedicated to him stated that “her father was eliminated”. The same version was voiced by many of his former colleagues.
Suspicions were indirectly supported by the fact that shortly before Semenov's stroke in Paris, his associate and deputy Alexander Pleshakov was poisoned. It was with him that Yulian Semenovich was investigating where the so-called "party gold" disappeared. In addition, by a strange “accident”, the writer had a stroke an hour before his meeting with John Evans, a representative of media magnate R. Murdoch. It was planned to finally solve the issue of creating an international holding company under the same brand “Top Secret”.
Julian Semenov, biography: personal life
The young journalist has always been the subject of discussion by envious persons who claimed that the lion's share of his success is the result of a successful marriage to the adopted daughter of S. V. Mikhalkov and N. P. Konchalovskaya from her first marriage. However, according to Semenov himself, he never tried to use the name and influence of the famous father-in-law for his own benefit. Officially, Ekaterina Sergeevna and Julian Semenovich were spouses for about 30 years. However, their union could hardly be called happy. After 17 years of marriage, with two teenage daughters, Semenov left the family, and for about 13 years only his marriage certificate linked him to his wife, since he was not officially terminated. However, when the writer’s health deteriorated greatly, Ekaterina Sergeevna, despite a 13-year break in relations, returned to her seriously ill husband and looked after him until the last days of her life.
Now you know some interesting facts related to the public and journalistic activities of the literary father of the famous Stirlitz. Julian Semenov, whose biography, personal life and mysterious circumstances of the disease you already know, left behind a rich literary heritage, which will be interesting to meet people of any age.