Writer Yuri Nikitin: biography, photos, reviews

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Yuri Nikitin (born 1939) is a Russian science fiction writer, also known to his admirers under the pseudonym Guy Yuli Orlovsky.

It was under this name that the writer published a series of fantasy novels about Richard Longarms from 2001 to 2004.

Yuri Nikitin: biography

A native of Kharkov, whose childhood fell on the terrible years of the Great Patriotic War, and whose biography repeats the fate of most Soviet people, he spent his young years in the Far North (Far East, Primorye, Ussuri taiga, Sikhote-Alin), working there on logging and exploration, mastering the wilds of the Sikhote-Alin ridge. Nikitin, who almost died from physical overexertion, returned to Ukraine as a prominent and strong man in 1964, went to work at the plant as a foundry worker. In Kharkov, he took up canoeing, became a master of sports, received several first categories in sambo, athletics and boxing.

Took part in the formation and activities of science fiction clubs and during the same period began to write science fiction stories andpublish them.

How it all began

Perhaps, the fascination with mythology comes from childhood, when relatives often told little Yurochka interesting stories about evil spirits, ghouls, dead people crawling out of graves, brownies and witches. By the way, the future writer did not work out with school education: at first he was left for the second year for constant absenteeism, in the eighth grade he was expelled three times for hooliganism and fights from school. Therefore, Yuri was forced to receive secondary education in absentia, in his native Kharkov. Trying to find a worthy use for his creative abilities, Yuri Nikitin (photos are presented in the review) worked as an artist and learned to play the violin.

Then he decided to try himself in the writing field, starting his career with fiction, which was his favorite reading.

First steps in literature

For some time he was a member of a group of science fiction writers, later transformed into the "Efremov School". "The Man Who Changed the World" is the first publication by Yuri Nikitin, which includes a collection of fantastic stories and immediately attracted the attention of the readership.

Official recognition came to the author 3 years later, after the publication of the production novel "Fire Worshippers" (about the harsh everyday life of foundry workers). It was for this work that Yuri Nikitin was admitted to the Writers' Union of the USSR and awarded high literary prizes. The adventure-historical novel Alexander Zasyadko's Sword, published in 1979, provoked the persecution to which Yuri Nikitin was subjected. The reviews of the Soviet censorship led to his exile from literary life for seven whole years, before the start of perestroika.

Metropolitan life

In Moscow, where the writer Yuri Nikitin moved from Kharkov, he graduated from the higher literary courses at the Literary Institute. In 1985, he published another book, "The Far Light Tower", which included light, sad, nostalgic stories. For some time he worked at the Fatherland publishing house as the chief editor.

In the early 90s, together with his wife Lilia Shishkina, he organized his own publishing house, Zmey Gorynych, which published foreign science fiction and gradually began to print the works of Yuri Nikitin himself. Currently, the publishing house is not functioning, and Nikitin's books are published by Eksmo and Tsentrpoligraf.

At the peak of popularity

On account of Yuri Nikitin - a writer comparable in total circulation to the famous science fiction writers Sergei Lukyanenko and Vasily Golovachev, more than 60 published books. In addition to fantasy, in which Nikitin is an ace, the writer brightly spoke in the genre of a philosophical novel (“Strange Novels”), historical fantasy from the classic series (“Three Kingdoms”), and an acute political thriller (“The Russians Are Coming” series). The most popular works of the science fiction writer are the first publications from the cycle "Three from the Forest", written in the genre of Slavic fantasy and laid the foundation for his all-Russian fame. Nikitin sold the rights to the Ded Moroz studio to shoot films for this cycle.

In the work of the writer, whose fans among themselves often call him Yuan, in addition to fantasticnovels, including a children's series, the study guide "How to Become a Writer" and the autobiography "I'm 65".

According to the works of Yuri Nikitin, an online computer game "Three Kingdoms" was created. This is a browser-based role-playing product, the game universe of which is designed in the old Russian style, and a significant part of the world belongs to the states of Kuyavia and Artania that are at war with each other.

Books by Yuri Nikitin

The cycle "Three from the Forest" brought the author the greatest fame. It began in the style of adventurous heroics, eventually developed into mythological fantasy. In the center of the plot are the adventures of three heroes who come from a forest tribe and were expelled from it. This conditioned them to go see the world.

Cycle "Megaworld". Solid sci-fi about scientists developing technology to reduce humans to insect size in order to prevent overpopulation of the planet. The created mega world is fraught with a large number of dangers and opens up a lot of new opportunities. The cycle touches upon problems of a moral, ethical and scientific-practical nature.

Cycle "Hyperborea". Historical fiction, including the novels “The Golden Sword”, “Ingvar and the Alder”, “Prince Vladimir”, “Prince Rus” conditionally related to each other. The author in his own way interprets the history of Russia in its various periods.

The "Russians are coming" cycle. Works of an alternative patriotic nature, closely connected with the historical events of Russia in the recent past.

The "Princely Feast" cycle. Two novels in stylehistorical fantasy, the action of which takes place in Kievan Rus, under the rule of Prince Vladimir Krasno Solnyshko. This is the time of such heroes as Dobrynya, Muromets and a couple of hundred more like them, ready to defend their land from countless hordes of cruel and treacherous steppe inhabitants.

Cycle "Open Teeth". In it, the author in a humorous style parodied the clichés of commercial fiction, Hollywood action movies and computer games.

The Three Kingdoms cycle. Adventurous epic fantasy.