Boris Akunin (born May 20, 1956) (Russian: Борис Акунин) is the pen name of Grigory Shalvovich Chkhartishvili (Григорий Шалвович Чхартишвили). Akunin is a Russian essayist, literary translator, and fiction writer. He was born in Tbilisi into a Georgian family, and since 1958 has lived in Moscow. "Akunin" (悪人) is a Japanese word that translates loosely to "villain". In his novel "Diamond Chariot", the author defines an "akunin" further as one who creates his own rules. The pseudonym "B. Akunin" also alludes to the anarchist Mikhail Alexandrovich Bakunin and to Akuna, Anna Akhmatova's home name. is the 140th day of the year (141st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... A car from 1956 Year 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Location of Tbilisi in Georgia Coordinates: , Country Georgia Established c. ... is the 140th day of the year (141st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... A car from 1956 Year 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Location of Tbilisi in Georgia Coordinates: , Country Georgia Established c. ... Jan. ... For other uses, see Moscow (disambiguation). ... Mikhail Alexandrovich Bakunin (Russian — Михаил Александрович Бакунин), (May 30, 1814–June 13, 1876) was a well-known Russian anarchist contemporaneous to Karl Marx. ... Akhmatova in 1922 (Portrait by Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin) Anna Akhmatova (Russian: , real name А́нна Андре́евна Горе́нко) (June 23 [O.S. June 11] 1889 — March 5, 1966) was the pen name of Anna Andreevna Gorenko, the leader and the heart and soul of the Saint Petersburg tradition of Russian poetry for half a century. ...

Influenced by Japanese Kabuki theatre, he joined the historical-philological branch of the Institute of the countries of Asia and Africa of Moscow State University and became a Japanologist. He worked as assistant to the editor-in-chief of the magazine Foreign Literature, however at the beginning of October 2000 left there to work in fiction. The oldest Kabuki theatre in Japan: the Minamiza in Kyoto The Kabukiza in Ginza is one of Tokyos leading kabuki theaters. ... For other uses, see Asia (disambiguation). ... A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ... Moscow State University M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University (Russian: Московский государственный университет имени М.В.Ломоносова, often abbreviated МГУ, MSU, MGU) is the largest and the oldest university in Russia, founded in 1755. ...

As Grigory Chkhartishvili, he is editor-in-chief of the 20-volume "Anthology of Japanese literature", chairman of the board of a megaproject "Pushkin library " (Soros Fund), and the author of the book "The Writer and Suicide" (Moscow, The New Literary Review, 1999), literary criticism, and translations from Japanese, American and English literature. Soros Fund Management LLC, founded by George Soros, is a privately held corporation providing financial services and investment strategies for various funds including some controversial hedge funds such as the Quantum Group of Funds. ...

Under the pseudonym Boris Akunin he has written several works of fiction, mainly novels and stories in the following series: "Adventures of Erast Fandorin", "The Adventures of Sister Pelagia" and "The Adventures of the Master". Akunin's specialty is historical mysteries set in Imperial Russia. It was only after the first books of the Fandorin series were published to critical acclaim that the identity of B. Akunin (i.e., Chkhartishvili) was revealed. Oleg Menshikov as Erast Fandorin in the 2005 movie The Councillor of State. ... Imperial Russia is the term used to cover the period of history from the expansion of Russia under Peter the Great, through the expansion of the Russian Empire from the Baltic Sea to the Pacific Ocean, to the deposal of Nicholas II of Russia, the last tsar, at the start...

In 2000 Boris Akunin was nominated for the Smirnoff-Booker prize. In September of 2000, Akunin was named the Russian Writer of the Year and was the winner of the literary prize "Antibooker" for 2000 for the novel Crowning or Coronation, or the last of the Romanovs. Crowning (Koronatsiya, or the last of the Romanovs), the historical novel by internationally acclaimed Russian detective story writer Boris Akunin. ...

Erast Fandorin books have been published in Italy, France, Japan, the U.S., Poland, Estonia, Germany and in other countries. Oleg Menshikov as Erast Fandorin in the 2005 movie The Councillor of State. ... Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from...

In late 2003 The British Crime Writers' Association announced its short lists for its Dagger Awards 2003. Boris Akunin's The Winter Queen was shortlisted in the category Gold & Silver Daggers for Fiction. The Crime Writers Association is a writers association in the UK. Founded by John Creasey in 1953, it is currently chaired by Robert Richardson and claims 450 members. ... The Gold Dagger was an award given annually by the CWA for best crime novel of the year. ...

Two Fandorin novels, Turkish Gambit and The State Councillor, were made into big-budget movies which broke Russian box-office records in 2005. Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Works

• Erast Fandorin - (dates are for the setting of the narrative not pub. dates)
  1. The Winter Queen, original title Azazel / Азазель (1876): The 20-year old Fandorin begins his career by accidentally stumbling over a world-domination plot. [1]
  2. The Turkish Gambit / Турецкий гамбит (1877) [2]: The story is set before the backdrop of the Russo-Turkish War, in particular the Siege of Pleven.
  3. Murder on the Leviathan / Левиафан (1878) [3]: The third novel in the series, though the second one released in English. Set on a steamship headed from England to India.
  4. The Death of Achilles / Смерть Ахиллеса (1882) [4]: The story unwinds from the death of Mikhail Skobelev (called Sobolev in the novel) in a Moscow hotel.
  5. The Jack of Spades / Пиковый валет (1886) [5]: Fandorin hunts down a clever gang of swindlers.
  6. The Decorator / Декоратор (1889) [6]: After ending his string of murders in England, Jack the Ripper surfaces in Moscow.
  7. The State Counsellor / Статский советник (1891): Political terrorism in late 19th-century Russia takes center stage.
  8. Coronation, or the Last of the Romanovs / Коронация, или Последний из романов (1896): The plot surrounds the ascension of tsar Nicholas II.
  9. She Lover of Death (literal translation) / Death's Mistress / Любовница смерти (1900): A decadent suicide society causes a stir in Moscow.
  10. He Lover of Death (literal translation) / Death's Lover / Любовник Смерти (1900): Set in the slums of Khitrovka, Moscow.
  11. The Diamond Chariot / Алмазная колесница (1905 / 1878): Events of the Russo-Japanese war of 1905 set against a flashback to Fandorin's diplomatic service in Yokohama.
  12. Jade Rosary / Нефритовые четки (alternative title translation is Jade Rosary Beads) (a collection of short stories and novellas set in the 19th century): Some of the "holes" in the canon are filled, including Fandorin's service in Japan, his investigations in the 1880s while a Deputy for Special Assignments in the Moscow city administration and his adventures in America.

The Jack of Spades and The Decorator were published together in a single volume, Special Assignments. Oleg Menshikov as Erast Fandorin in the 2005 movie The Councillor of State. ... The Winter Queen (Russian: Азазель, Azazel) is the first novel from the Erast Fandorin series of detective fiction novels, written by Russian author Boris Akunin. ... For other uses, see Azazel (disambiguation). ... The Turkish Gambit (Russian: Турецкий гамбит) is the second novel from the Erast Fandorin series of detective fiction novels, written by Russian author Boris Akunin. ... Plevna Monument near the walls of Kitai-gorod. ... Combatants Russia, Romania Ottoman Empire Commanders Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolai Krudener King Carol I of Romania Osman Pasha Strength 100,000 30,000 Casualties 38,000 killed, wounded or captured 40,000 killed, wounded or captured {{{notes}}} Map The Siege of Pleven (or Plevna) during the Russo-Turkish War, 1877... Leviathan (Russian: Левиафан; English translation titled Murder on the Leviathan) is the third novel in the Erast Fandorin series by Boris Akunin. ... The Death of Achilles (Russian title: Смерть Ахиллеса) is the fourth novel in the Erast Fandorin series by Boris Akunin. ... Mikhail Dmitrievich Skobelev (Russian: ) (September 29, 1843 – July 7, 1882; September 17, 1843 — June 25, 1882, O.S.) was a Russian general famous for his conquest of Central Asia and heroism during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78. ... Special Assignments: The Further Adventures of Erast Fandorin (Russian Особые поручения) is a book by Russian author Boris Akunin, published in 2007. ... Special Assignments: The Further Adventures of Erast Fandorin (Russian Особые поручения) is a book by Russian author Boris Akunin, published in 2007. ... Jack the Ripper is the pseudonym given to an unidentified serial killer active in the largely impoverished Whitechapel area of London, England in the second half of 1888. ... The State Counsellor (Russian: Статский советник) is the sixth novel in the Erast Fandorin series by Boris Akunin. ... Coronation, or the Last of the Romanovs (Russian: Коронация, или Последний из романов) is a historical mystery novel by internationally acclaimed Russian detective story writer Boris Akunin, published originally in 2000. ... Nicholas II redirects here. ... Алмазная Колесница (Diamond Chariot, the Russian term for the Diamond Vehicle (kongōjō) school of Tantric Buddhism) is a historical mystery novel by internationally acclaimed Russian detective story writer Boris Akunin, published originally in 2003. ... Special Assignments: The Further Adventures of Erast Fandorin (Russian Особые поручения) is a book by Russian author Boris Akunin, published in 2007. ...

• Sister Pelagia: A series about a crime-solving nun in turn-of-the-20th-century provincial Russia.
  • Pelagia and the White Bulldog / Пелагия и белый бульдог [7]
  • Pelagia and the Black Monk / Пелагия и черный монах
  • Pelagia and the Red Rooster / Пелагия и красный петух

• Nicholas Fandorin: A series of adventure novels about Erast Fandorin's grandson, a modern-day British historian.
  • Altyn Tolobas / Алтын-толобас [8]: Nicholas visits Russia in 1995 while a story of his 17th-century ancestor is told in alternating chapters.
  • Extracurricular Reading/ Внеклассное чтение: Nicholas' adventures in Moscow in 2001 are told together with a story of yet another ancestor, this one set in the end of Catherine the Great's reign.
  • F.M.: Nicholas is looking for a lost Dostoevsky manuscript.

• The Genres Project (novels written in different fiction genres, each book's title refers to the particular genre)
  • Children's Book / Детская книга: Erast Fandorin Jr. (Nicholas' ten-year-old son) goes on a time-travelling adventure.
  • Spy Novel / Шпионский роман: Set in 1941, just before Hitler's invasion of the Soviet Union.
  • Science Fiction / Фантастика: Two young men cope with their mysteriously acquired superpowers in the Soviet Union's dying days.

• The Seagull / Чайка, Комедия в двух действиях: a reworking of Anton Chekhov's Seagull as a mystery [9]
• Comedy/Tragedy (the Tragedy is also known as "Hamlet, by B. Akunin," with "Mirror of Saint Germain" being the alternate name for the Comedy.)
• Ying and Yan (a play about Erast Fandorin, set in 1882).
• Fairy Tales for Idiots / Сказки для Идиотов [10] (a collection of short stories, not related to any of the series).

Sister Pelagia is the heroine of a trilogy of mystery novels by Boris Akunin. ... Sister Pelagia is the heroine of a trilogy of mystery novels by Boris Akunin. ... Sister Pelagia is the heroine of a trilogy of mystery novels by Boris Akunin. ... Sister Pelagia is the heroine of a trilogy of mystery novels by Boris Akunin. ... Nicholas Fandorin is the protagonist of three novels by Boris Akunin, subtitled adventures of the magister [viz. ... Nicholas Fandorin is the protagonist of three novels by Boris Akunin, subtitled adventures of the magister [viz. ... Nicholas Fandorin is the protagonist of three novels by Boris Akunin, subtitled adventures of the magister [viz. ... Catherine II (Екатерина II Алексеевна: Yekaterína II Alekséyevna, April 21, 1729 - November 6, 1796), born Sophie Augusta Fredericka, known as Catherine the Great, reigned as empress of Russia from... F.M. (Russian: , the initials of Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky) is a novel in two volumes by Boris Akunin, which reached bookstores in Russia on the 20th of May, 2006. ... Fyodor Dostoevsky. ... The spy fiction genre (sometimes called political thriller) first arose just before the First World War, at about the same time, the first organized intelligence agencies were being formed. ... Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (April 20, 1889 – April 30, 1945, standard German pronunciation in the IPA) was the Führer (leader) of the National Socialist German Workers Party (Nazi Party) and of Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945. ... Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (Russian: , IPA: ) was a Russian short story writer and playwright. ... Chekhov in an 1898 portrait by Osip Braz. ... Ying and Yan (Инь и Ян) is a play by Boris Akunin written for the director Alexey Borodin, edited by Zaharov in 2006. ...

New series

In December 2007, a new Akunin series will debut in Russia, Brüderschaft with Death (Смерть на брудершафт). Brüderschaft (a "brotherhood toast") is a German drinking tradition. The new series is referred to by the author as a "cinematic novel". It was written with the expectiation to be made into a motion picture, but the plans for a screen adaptation fell through[11]. The series will consist of ten novellas, or "films". The unifying theme is espionage during World War I. There will be two principal characters, a German superspy Sepp von Theofels (first introduced in the Spy Novel) and his upstart Russian adversary Alexei Romanov (likely, the same person as General Oktyabrsky from the Spy Novel). The first book of the series will contain two novellas, An Infant And A Demon (Младенец и черт), which is referred to as a "comedy" and Sufferings of a Broken Heart (Мука разбитого сердца).
The next installments will be as follows:
3. The Flying Elephant (Летающий слон). Aeronautic adventures.
4. The Children of the Moon (Дети Луны). A decadent etude.
5. The Elder (Cтарец). From the mores of high society.
6. Let the Thunder of Victory Rumble (Гром победы, раздавайся). A battlefield sketch. “The Great War ” redirects here. ...

Future plans

As Akunin has indicated in interviews, the Sister Pelagia series is finished (only three books were ever planned) while the other three projects will continue. In particular, he plans to write three more Erast Fandorin books. Two of them will be novels: one will take place around 1913 or 1914 (and may be about Rasputin), the other during the Russian Civil War. The final book of the series will be another collection of short stories and novellas, similar in structure to Jade Rosary and take place entirely during the 20th century. Grigori Rasputin Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin (Russian: ) (22 January [O.S. 10 January] 1869 – 29 December [O.S. 16 December] 1916) was a Russian mystic with an influence in the later days of Russias Romanov dynasty. ... Combatants Local Soviet powers led by Russian SFSR and Red Army Far Eastern Republic Chinese Volunteers White Movement Allied Intervention: Japan Czechoslovakia Greece  United States  Canada Serbia Romania  Turkey UK  France Foreign volunteers: Polish Italian Local nationalist movements, national states, and decentralist movements  German Empire  Mongolia Warlords Commanders Vladimir Lenin...

There will also be at least one more book about Nicholas Fandorin. Akunin has indicated that he already has the plot thought out and that this fourth book of the series may also be the last.

The Genres project will continue as well. Children's Book 2 (Детская книга-2), featuring Angelina, Nicolas Fandorin's 10-year-old daughter, may be the next installment.

External links

• (Russian) Akunin's site (contains the full text of ten novels)
• (Russian) The Erast P. Fandorin Virtual Museum
• (Russian) Fandorin.ru Official Site of Erast Fandorin and other Akunin characters
• Akunin.net Akunin's published books in Russian, English, German and French
• Times online interview with Boris Akunin
• Boris Akunin: the Evil Spirit or Good Luck of Modern Russian Fiction?
• 2002 AEI paper analyzing Akunin's works
• Russian library site containing the full texts of most of Akunin's novels, including all three Pelagia novels, two Nicholas Fandorin novels, and all Erast Fandorin novels except the most recent, Jade Rosary Beads