Oleg Menshikov as Erast Fandorin in the 2005 movie The Councillor of State.

Erast Petrovich Fandorin (Russian: Эраст Петрович Фандорин) is a fictional 19th-century Russian detective and the hero of a series of Russian historical detective novels by Boris Akunin. The first novel was published in Russia in 1998, and the latest was published in November 2006.^[1] More than 15 million copies of Fandorin novels have been sold as of May 2006,^[2] even though the novels were freely available from many Russian web-sites and the hard-copies were relatively expensive for Russian standards.^[3] New books in the Fandorin series typically sell over 200,000 copies in the first week alone,^[3] with an unparallelled (for mystery novels) first edition of 50,000 copies for the first books to 500,000 copies for the last.^[4][1] In Russia, the Fandorin series rivals The Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter in popularity.^[4] The English translations of the novels by Andrew Bromfield have been critically acclaimed by, among others, Ruth Rendell.^[5] Image File history File links Erast_Fandorin. ... Image File history File links Erast_Fandorin. ... Oleg Menshikov (right) in the 2005 Fandorin-movie The Councillor of State. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Boris Akunin Boris Akunin (Russian: ) is the pen name of Grigory Shalvovich Chkhartishvili (Григорий Шалвович Чхартишвили), born May 20, 1956, a Russian ( half Georgian and half Jew ) essayist, literary translator, and fiction writer. ... The Lord of the Rings is an epic high fantasy novel written by English academic J. R. R. Tolkien. ... This article is about the Harry Potter series. ... Andrew Bromfield is a founding editor of the Russian literature journal Glas. ... Ruth Barbara Rendell, Baroness Rendell of Babergh, CBE, who also writes under the pseudonym Barbara Vine, (born February 17, 1930), is a British best-selling mystery and psychological crime writer, often called the Queen of Crime. ...

Concept of the series

In the Soviet Union, many novels were severely censored or prohibited from being published. Although detective novels were not forbidden, reading these novels was discouraged by the communist regime.^[6][7] After the collapse of the Soviet Union, many trashy detective novels were published that featured a lot of gore and sex.^[8] Akunin's wife, in common with many other Russians,^[9] started to enjoy reading this genre of literature. However, she did not want to be seen reading the novels and she always wrapped them in brown paper to prevent people from seeing what she was reading.^[7][10][11] This inspired Akunin to create a detective novel which nobody would be ashamed to be caught reading,^[11] something between the literature of Leo Tolstoy and Fyodor Dostoevsky and the pulp of modern Russian detective novels.^[12] Censorship is the editing, removing, or otherwise changing speech and other forms of human expression. ... Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy (Russian: , Lev Nikolaevič Tolstoj), commonly referred to in English as Leo Tolstoy (September 9, 1828 [O.S. August 28] – November 20, 1910 [O.S. November 7]) was a Russian novelist, writer, essayist, philosopher, Christian anarchist, pacifist, educational reformer, vegetarian, moral thinker and an influential member of... Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky (Russian: Фёдор Миха́йлович Достое́вский, Fëdor Mihajlovič Dostoevskij, sometimes transliterated Dostoyevsky  ) (November 11, 1821 [O.S. October 30] – February 9, 1881 [O.S. January 28]) is considered one of the greatest Russian writers. ...

He set out to write a cycle about Fandorin with an exploration of every subgenre of the detective novel in mind, from spies to serial killers.^[2] In addition, he wanted to address different types of human character in his books. As Akunin identified sixteen subgenres of crime novels, as well as sixteen character types, the novels in the Erast Fandorin series will ultimately number sixteen. As of November 2006, twelve novels have been published in Russia. The series is titled Новый детективъ (New detective, or New Mystery). This title serves to set the novels apart from the postmodernist intellectual novels as well as from the trashy detective novels,^[4] but it is also a subtle play on the use of time in the novels.^[6]

Akunin uses many historical settings for his novels. He uses the war between Russia and the Ottoman Empire as background for the novel The Turkish Gambit; the death of the White General Mikhail Skobelev (in the novel called Sobolev) in the novel The Death of Achilles; and the coronation of Tsar Nicholas II and the Khodynka Tragedy for Coronation, or the Last of the Romanovs. Akunin uses the gaps in the knowledge of these histories to create an atmosphere for his mystery novels to which readers can relate.^[4] Plevna Monument near the walls of Kitai-gorod. ... 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. ... Nicholas II of Russia (May 18, 1868–July 17, 1918)[1] (Russian: , Nikolay II) was the last Emperor of Russia, King of Poland,[2] and Grand Duke of Finland. ... The Khodynka Tragedy was a mass panic that occurred on May 18, 1896 on Khodynka Field during the festivities of the crowning of Russian Tsar Nicholas II and resulted in the deaths of 1389 people. ...

Personal life

Biography and career

Akunin describes in The Winter Queen how Erast Fandorin was orphaned at the age of nineteen. He never knew his mother, and his father died bankrupt, leaving only debts. Fandorin had to abandon his education at Moscow University and was forced to enter the police force as a clerk. Since the events in The Winter Queen take place in the spring of 1876 (when Akunin says Fandorin is twenty) he must have been born in 1856. Further hints at Fandorin's ancestry are given in another novel, Altyn Tolobas, one of four novels set in the present day and featuring Fandorin's grandson Nicholas, where Akunin writes how Captain Cornelius von Dorn, a German hussar, entered Russia in the 1680s. Fandorin is a russification of the name von Dorn. 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. ... Polish Hussar Hussar (original Hungarian spelling: huszár, plural huszárok) refers to a number of types of cavalry used throughout Europe since the 15th century. ...

Akunin also describes in The Winter Queen how Fandorin falls in love with a seventeen-year-old girl, whom he meets while he is investigating his first case. On their wedding day, she was killed by a bomb in a package addressed to Fandorin himself. At the time of the explosion, Fandorin was out pursuing the person who delivered the bomb and thus miraculously escaped without harm. This experience turned him into a cynic of sorts.

In The Turkish Gambit Fandorin is charged with the capture of a Turkish spy during the war between Russia and the Ottoman empire. Upon his return, he requests to be stationed in a remote post, and becomes second secretary to the Russian ambassador in Japan. His adventures in Japan are detailed in the second part of The Diamond Chariot. In Japan, he saves the life of the fallen samurai Masa, who becomes his manservant as a token of gratitude. He learns martial arts, and trains in them every day with Masa. In The Death of Achilles Akunin describes how Fandorin returns to Russia, only to find his old friend General Mikhail Sobolev murdered. 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. ... Motto: دولت ابد مدت Devlet-i Ebed-müddet (The Eternal State) Anthem: Ottoman imperial anthem Borders in 1680, see: list of territories Capital Söğüt (1299-1326) Bursa (1326-1365) Edirne (1365-1453) Constantinople (Istanbul) (1453-1922) Language(s) Ottoman Turkish Government Monarchy Sultans  - 1281–1326 Osman I  - 1918–1922 Mehmed VI... 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. ... Japanese samurai in armour, 1860s. ... The Death of Achilles (Russian title: Смерть Ахиллеса) is the fourth novel in the Erast Fandorin series by Boris Akunin. ...

In The Councillor of State, Fandorin is accused of the attempted murder of the Governor of Moscow. After he clears his name, Fandorin is offered the job of Oberpolizeimeister but declines, instead he resigns from public service and becomes a private investigator. In Coronation, or the Last of the Romanovs, Fandorin prevents an international scandal from occurring during the coronation of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia in 1896. The Councillor of State (Russian: Статский советник) is the seventh novel in the Erast Fandorin series by Boris Akunin. ... Coronation, or the last of the Romanovs (Коронация, или Последний из романов) is a historical novel by internationally acclaimed Russian detective story writer Boris Akunin, published in 2000. ... Monomakhs Cap symbol of Russian autocracy, the crown of Russian grand princes and tsars Czar and tzar redirect here. ... Nicholas II of Russia (May 18, 1868–July 17, 1918)[1] (Russian: , Nikolay II) was the last Emperor of Russia, King of Poland,[2] and Grand Duke of Finland. ...

Allusions to the fate of Erast Fandorin are made in Altyn Tolobas. Late in life Fandorin marries again and has at least one son, Alexander, in exile in London in 1920. Alexander's son, Nicholas Fandorin, is born around 1960.

Physical appearance and other characteristics

Boris Akunin provides the reader with a vivid portrait of Erast Fandorin. Fandorin is of average height, with a thin build. He has a small moustache, blue eyes and black hair. The death of his wife caused his hair to turn grey at the temples almost overnight, as described in The Winter Queen. It also caused him to stammer, but this tends to diminish as tensions rise. Fandorin is always impeccably groomed and can be vain about his appearance; in The Winter Queen he wears a corset to improve his figure. The temple is the side of the head behind the eyes Temple indicates the side of the head behind the eyes. ...

In every novel Fandorin is described as a master of disguise, which he uses to infiltrate criminal hideouts and in stakeouts. When he is disguised, he does not stammer at all. In Coronation, or the Last of the Romanovs, Fandorin explains that this is because he always takes on the personality of the disguise, which often requires that he should not stammer. In The Winter Queen, he learns to present evidence by making a list: "That is one. That is two. And that is three". He is brave and determined, and has to kill several men during his investigative career, but he is still sickened by the sight of blood. While in Japan, he learns the art of the ninjas (or "silent ones", as they are referred to in the novels). He is physically fit and athletic. In his later years, Fandorin becomes an enthusiast of the newly invented automobile. This article refers to Japanese spies and assassins known as Ninja. For other uses, see Ninja (disambiguation) This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Fandorin is exceptionally lucky, a common trait in the Fandorin family that skips every other generation; allusions to this character trait appear in every novel. He never loses a bet, and wins at all sports. He has however lost the appetite for gambling, as it soon became boring. He can be popular with the opposite sex, partly because he still mourns the loss of his first wife - this sadness seems to attract women.^[3]

Allusions and references to other works

According to Akunin, he mixed several of the most sympathetic heroes of Russian literature to form the Erast Fandorin character.^[13] One of these heroes is Chatsky from Alexander Griboyedov's Woe from Wit, from whom Fandorin inherits his sense of duty: "To serve the cause, not the individuals".^[3] Other heroes Erast Fandorin is based upon, are Andrei Bolkonski (from Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace), Prince Mishkin (from Fyodor Dostoevsky's The Idiot) and Pechorin (from Mikhail Lermontov's A Hero of Our Time).^[10] ... Woe from Wit (Russian: Горе от ума, also translated as The Woes of Wit, Wit Works Woe, etc. ... Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy (Russian: , Lev Nikolaevič Tolstoj), commonly referred to in English as Leo Tolstoy (September 9, 1828 [O.S. August 28] – November 20, 1910 [O.S. November 7]) was a Russian novelist, writer, essayist, philosopher, Christian anarchist, pacifist, educational reformer, vegetarian, moral thinker and an influential member of... War and Peace (Russian: Война и мир, Voyna i mir; in original orthography: Война и миръ, Voyna i mir) is an epic novel by Leo Tolstoy, first published from 1865 to 1869 in Russki Vestnik, which tells the story of Russian society during the Napoleonic Era. ... Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky (Russian: Фёдор Миха́йлович Достое́вский, Fëdor Mihajlovič Dostoevskij, sometimes transliterated Dostoyevsky  ) (November 11, 1821 [O.S. October 30] – February 9, 1881 [O.S. January 28]) is considered one of the greatest Russian writers. ... The Idiot is a novel written by the Russian writer Fyodor Dostoevsky in 1869. ... Mikhail Lermontov in 1837 Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov (Михаил Юрьевич Лермонтов), (October 15, 1814–July 27, 1841), a Russian Romantic writer and poet, sometimes called the poet of the Caucasus, was the most important presence in the Russian poetry from Alexander Pushkins death until his own four years later, at the age... A Hero of Our Time (Russian: ) is a short novel by Mikhail Lermontov, written in 1839 and revised in 1841. ...

Akunin said he "plots along the line of Kazuo Ishiguro's Remains of the Day".^[14] The orphaned urchin Senka, the narrator of The Lover of Death, is clearly based upon Oliver Twist (also pointed out by the subtitle of that novel: a Dickensian story).^[3] The entire first volume of The Diamond Chariot is an allusion to Alexander Kuprin's Junior Captain Rybnikov,^[6] and the opening sentence of The Winter Queen is a clear reference to Mikhail Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita.^[6] A more subtle allusion exists to Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina, as the novel The Winter Queen starts with a suicide in 1876, the exact same year in which Anna throws herself under a train.^[4] Another allusion to Anna Karenina can be found in The Jack of Spades, where Fandorin's current girlfriend, who is married to another man, has the same patronymic (Arkadievna) as Anna Karenina herself. In Murder on the Leviathan, one of the newspaper fragments is signed by G. du Roy, an allusion to the journalist Georges Duroy from Guy de Maupassant's Bel Ami.^[4] Kazuo Ishiguro (カズオ・イシグロ Kazuo Ishiguro, originally 石黒一雄 Ishiguro Kazuo, born November 8, 1954) is a British author of Japanese origin. ... The Remains of the Day (1989) is the third novel by British-Japanese author Kazuo Ishiguro. ... Oliver Twist (1838) is Charles Dickens second novel. ... Dickens 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. ... Alexander Vasilievich Kuprin (Александр Васильевич Куприн) was a Russian painter, a member of the Jack of Diamond group. ... 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. ... Mikhail Afanasievich Bulgakov (Russian: Михаил Афанасьевич Булгаков; May 15, 1891 [O.S. May 3], Kiev – March 10, 1940, Moscow) was a Russian novelist and playwright of the first half of the 20th century. ... The Master and Margarita (Russian: ) is a novel by Mikhail Bulgakov, woven about the premise of a visit by the Devil to the fervently atheistic Soviet Union. ... Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy (Russian: , Lev Nikolaevič Tolstoj), commonly referred to in English as Leo Tolstoy (September 9, 1828 [O.S. August 28] – November 20, 1910 [O.S. November 7]) was a Russian novelist, writer, essayist, philosopher, Christian anarchist, pacifist, educational reformer, vegetarian, moral thinker and an influential member of... Anna Karenina (Анна Каренина) is a novel by the Russian writer Leo Tolstoy first published in periodical installments from 1875 to 1877 . ... A patronymic, or patronym, is a component of a personal name based on the name of ones father. ... Leviathan (Russian: Левиафан; English translation titled Murder on the Leviathan) is the third novel in the Erast Fandorin series by Boris Akunin. ... Guy de Maupassant. ... Bel Ami, published in 1885, was French author Guy de Maupassants second novel. ...

Novels

List

The following list describes the novels in the order they were written, with the original titles in Russian and the publication dates for the Russian and English versions.

¹The Jack of Spades and The Decorator were published together in a single volume called Special Assignments (Особые поручения). 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. ... 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. ... 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. ... The Councillor of State (Russian: Статский советник) is the seventh novel in the Erast Fandorin series by Boris Akunin. ... Coronation, or the last of the Romanovs (Коронация, или Последний из романов) is a historical novel by internationally acclaimed Russian detective story writer Boris Akunin, published in 2000. ... 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. ...

The Winter Queen

Russian book cover for The Winter Queen

Main article: The Winter Queen (novel)

The young Erast Fandorin, recently orphaned, enters the Moscow police service in 1876 and is asked to investigate the high-profile suicide of a student. After another student is murdered, the trail leads to the beneficiary of both students' estates, an international network of schools for orphaned boys, led by an English noblewoman. They have a secret goal: world domination. When Fandorin confronts the noblewoman with his findings, she apparently kills herself. Fandorin rounds up the network, but on his wedding day he receives a package with a bomb. While Fandorin chases the delivery man, the bomb goes off, and his bride is killed. Image File history File links Azazel_(book). ... Image File history File links Azazel_(book). ... 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 Moscow (disambiguation). ... 1876 (MDCCCLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ...

The Turkish Gambit

Main article: The Turkish Gambit

Pleven, 1877. During the Russo-Turkish war of 1877, an encrypted message is mysteriously altered, leading to strategic gains by the Turks. Everyone believes a young army officer is responsible, but Fandorin believes it to be the work of a Turkish spy. 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. ... Pleven (Bulgarian: Плевен , known as Plevna in English in some historical documents) is the seventh most populated town in Bulgaria. ... 1877 (MDCCCLXXVII) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Combatants Russia, Romania Ottoman Empire The Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878 had its origins in the Russian goal of gaining access to the Mediterranean Sea and liberating the Orthodox Christian Slavic peoples of the Balkan Peninsula (Bulgarians, Serbians) from the Islamic-ruled Ottoman Empire. ...

Leviathan

Main article: Murder on the Leviathan

Red Sea, 1878. A murder investigation leads a French inspector to Egypt, where the cruise ship Leviathan is about to set sail to Japan. Fandorin is one of the passengers as he is entering diplomatic service in Japan. Every passenger becomes a suspect, while Fandorin slowly uncovers a plot to steal a large Indian treasure. Leviathan (Russian: Левиафан; English translation titled Murder on the Leviathan) is the third novel in the Erast Fandorin series by Boris Akunin. ... Location of the Red Sea The Red Sea is an inlet of the Indian Ocean between Africa and Asia. ... 1878 (MDCCCLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...

Cover of the English translation of The Death of Achilles

Image File history File links The_Death_of_Achilles. ... Image File history File links The_Death_of_Achilles. ...

The Death of Achilles

Main article: The Death of Achilles

Moscow, 1882. After four years of diplomatic service in Japan, Fandorin returns to Moscow with his Japanese manservant Masa. He arrives just in time to hear about the tragic death of war hero Mikhail Sobolev, who apparently was planning a coup d'état. A briefcase with one million rubles is stolen, and Fandorin must see to it that Sobolev's honor is reinstated. His enemy turns out to be an old acquaintance. The Death of Achilles (Russian title: Смерть Ахиллеса) is the fourth novel in the Erast Fandorin series by Boris Akunin. ... For other uses, see Moscow (disambiguation). ... 1882 (MDCCCLXXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar. ... A coup d’état (pronounced ), or simply coup, is the sudden overthrow of a government through unconstitutional means by a part of the state establishment — mostly replacing just the high-level figures. ... ISO 4217 Code RUB User(s) Russia and self-proclaimed Abkhazia and South Ossetia Inflation 11% (Russian only) Source CIA World Fact Book, 2005 est. ...

Special Assignments

This book is a single volume containing two different Erast Fandorin novellas, The Jack of Spades and The Decorator (see below).

The Jack of Spades

Main article: The Jack of Spades

Moscow, 1886. Fandorin pursues a gentleman safe-cracker. 1886 (MDCCCLXXXVI) is a common year starting on Friday (click on link to calendar) // Events January 18 - Modern field hockey is born with the formation of The Hockey Association in England. ...

The Decorator

Main article: The Decorator

Moscow, 1889. Several women are brutally murdered. Fandorin sees parallells with the murders attributed to Jack the Ripper. For other uses, see Moscow (disambiguation). ... 1889 (MDCCCLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 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 Councillor of State

Book cover of the French translation of The Councillor of State.

Main article: The Councillor of State

Moscow, 1891. Disguised as Fandorin, the leader of a revolutionary organization commits a murder attempt at the governor of Moscow. Fandorin has to catch him to prove his innocence. He is assisted (or is it hindered) in his investigations by prince Pozharsky, a fictional descendant of Dmitry Pozharsky, who helped bring the Time of Troubles to an end. Image File history File links Councillor_of_State_french. ... Image File history File links Councillor_of_State_french. ... The Councillor of State (Russian: Статский советник) is the seventh novel in the Erast Fandorin series by Boris Akunin. ... The Councillor of State (Russian: Статский советник) is the seventh novel in the Erast Fandorin series by Boris Akunin. ... 1891 (MDCCCXCI) was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Pozharsky and Minin monument (1804-16) in front of Saint Basils Cathedral Dmitry Mikhaylovich Pozharsky (Russian: Дми́трий Миха́йлович Пожа́рский, Polish: Dymitr Pożarski) (November 1, 1578 - April 30, 1642) was a Rurikid prince who obtainted from the tsar an unprecedented title of the Saviour of Motherland. ... The Time of Troubles (Russian: Смутное время, Smutnoye Vremya) was a period of Russian history comprising the years of interregnum between the death of the last of Moscow Rurikids, Tsar Feodor Ivanovich, in 1598 and the establishment of the Romanov Dynasty in 1613. ...

Coronation, or the Last of the Romanovs

Main article: Coronation, or the Last of the Romanovs

Moscow, May 1896. The imperial family moves to Moscow for the coronation of tsar Nicholas II. However, Nicholas' nephew Mikhail is abducted and the kidnapper asks a diamond from the sceptre as ransom. The absence of the diamond in the sceptre would create an international scandal, and Fandorin, now retired from public service, is asked to track down the kidnapper. Coronation, or the last of the Romanovs (Коронация, или Последний из романов) is a historical novel by internationally acclaimed Russian detective story writer Boris Akunin, published in 2000. ... 1896 (MDCCCXCVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... The coronation of Empress Farah, of Iran in 1967. ... Monomakhs Cap symbol of Russian autocracy, the crown of Russian grand princes and tsars Czar and tzar redirect here. ... Nicholas II of Russia (May 18, 1868–July 17, 1918)[1] (Russian: , Nikolay II) was the last Emperor of Russia, King of Poland,[2] and Grand Duke of Finland. ...

The Mistress of Death

Book cover of the German translation of The Mistress of Death.

Main article: The Mistress of Death

1900. Fandorin deals with a suicide club. The action takes place contemporaneously with the events of The Lover of Death below. It is told from the point of view of 'Colombina', a Moscow debutante from Irkutsk who is unaware of Fandorin's other involvements. Image File history File links Der_Magier_von_Moskau. ... Image File history File links Der_Magier_von_Moskau. ... 1900 (MCM) was an exceptional common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, but a leap year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. ...

The Lover of Death

Main article: The Lover of Death

Moscow 1900. The action takes place contemporaneously with the events of The Mistress of Death above. It is told from the point of view of Senka, a Khitrovka boy, who is unaware of Fandorin's other involvements. 1900 (MCM) was an exceptional common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, but a leap year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. ...

The Diamond Vehicle

Main article: The Diamond Vehicle

This novel consists of two parts. In the first part, set during the Russo-Japanese War in 1905, with Fandorin charged with protecting the Trans-Siberian Railway from Japanese sabotage. In the second part, set in 1878 and 1879, Fandorin's arrival in Yokohama and his adventures there are told, how he came to meet his servant Masa and how he succeeded in finding a Ninjutsu teacher. The title Алмазная Колесница "Diamond Vehicle" refers to the Kongōjō school of Tantric Buddhism. The first part is structured as a haiku, with each chapter taking the place of a syllable, while in the second part, a haiku is placed at the end of each chapter. 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. ... Combatants Imperial Russia Empire of Japan Commanders N/A N/A Strength 500,000 Soldiers 400,000 Soldiers Casualties 134,817+ KIA/POW, 170,000 MIA etc. ... Trans-Siberian line in red; Baikal Amur Mainline in green. ... 1878 (MDCCCLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1879 (MDCCCLXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... For the town of Yokohama in Aomori Prefecture, see Yokohama, Aomori. ... Ninjutsu ) is a collection of techniques originally practiced for espionage purposes. ... Shingon (眞言,真言), also called Japanese Esoteric Buddhism, is a major school of Japanese Buddhism, and one of two major sub-schools of Vajrayana Buddhism, the other being Tibetan Buddhism. ... A mandala used in Vajrayana Buddhist practices. ... For other uses, see Haiku (disambiguation). ...

Jade Rosary Beads

Jade Rosary Beads (Russian: Нефритовые четки) is the last book describing Fandorin's adventures in the 19th century. It was issued in Russia on 21 November 2006. The book contains three novellas and seven short stories. The novella "Before the Apocalypse" is particularly striking, and was voted to be one of Akunin's best works on the fan website www.fandorin.ru. The volume is illustrated by Igor Sakurov.[1] November 21 is the 325th day of the year (326th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Stage

Book cover for the play Yin and Yang.

With Yin and Yang, Akunin also wrote a play featuring Fandorin, but the play is not included in the novel series. Subtitled A theatrical experiment, it features a white and a black version. When a wealthy man dies, Fandorin is brought in to clarify some points of the will. After the murder of several characters, Fandorin (assisted by his manservant Masa) needs his sleuthing skills once more. The black version leads to a diametrical opposed result from the white version, due to some minor changes in evidence found in the beginning of the play. This play is notable for the comic element introduced by Masa's limited knowledge of Russian -- he has begun copying out words from the dictionary but so far has gotten only to the letter "D." The play was written for director Aleksey Borodin. Image File history File links Inyan_big. ... Image File history File links Inyan_big. ...

Typography

Akunin uses typography to enhance the story that is being told. Newspaper stories are typeset in a different font (see The Turkish Gambit}. He even goes so far that chapters written from the perspective of a Japanese (see Leviathan) are rotated ninety degrees to give the illusion of traditional Japanese writing. (This effect is omitted in some English editions of Leviathan.) Nihongo in kanji This article describes the modern Japanese writing system and its history. ...

Translations

Book cover of the Dutch translation of Coronation, or the Last of the Romanovs.

Novels from the Erast Fandorin series have been translated into more than 30 languages.^[4] Because Akunin saw the English-language market as key to the rest of the world, he was very cautious when selecting the person who was allowed to translate the Fandorin novels into English.^[2] As of August 2006, only the first four novels have been translated into English. Oddly, Leviathan, which is the third novel in the series, was translated before The Turkish Gambit which is the second. The English translation of Special Assignments is scheduled to be published in January 2007. Random House is the American publisher, but they planned to publish only the first four novels.^[8] The British publisher is Weidenfeld & Nicolson. Image File history File links Kroning. ... Image File history File links Kroning. ... Coronation, or the last of the Romanovs (Коронация, или Последний из романов) is a historical novel by internationally acclaimed Russian detective story writer Boris Akunin, published in 2000. ... Random House is a publishing division of the German media conglomerate Bertelsmann based in New York City. ...

Each of the first three translated novels have sold over 50,000 copies in the UK alone. ^[15] The Winter Queen has been described as the possible result if Aleksandr Pushkin would have written mystery novels and Andrew Bromfield is lauded as one of England's finest translators from the Russian.^[11] Critics were also very favorable about Murder on the Leviathan, but less so about The Turkish Gambit, which offers a far slower pace than The Winter Queen.^[16] The Death of Achilles has again been received very positively.^[17][18] 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. ... Aleksandr Pushkin by Vasily Tropinin Aleksandr Sergeyevich Pushkin (Russian: Алекса́ндр Серге́евич Пу́шкин, Aleksandr Sergeevič PuÅ¡kin,  ) (June 6, 1799 [O.S. May 26] – February 10, 1837 [O.S. January 29]) was a Russian Romantic author who is considered to be the greatest Russian poet[1] [2][3] and the founder of modern Russian... Andrew Bromfield is a founding editor of the Russian literature journal Glas. ... Leviathan (Russian: Левиафан; English translation titled Murder on the Leviathan) is the third novel in the Erast Fandorin series by Boris Akunin. ... 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. ... The Death of Achilles (Russian title: Смерть Ахиллеса) is the fourth novel in the Erast Fandorin series by Boris Akunin. ...

The first 10 novels have been translated into German, with the eleventh due in October 2006. Dutch publisher De Geus has completed its announced translations of the first seven novels (in reality the first eight were translated, Special Assignments was counted as one).^[19] Translations for the other novels have not yet been announced. In Italian and French, the first 8 novels have been translated. The first 6 novels have been translated in Norwegian. A publisher is a person or entity which engages in the act of publishing. ...

Adaptations

Movie poster for the 2005 film The Turkish Gambit.

Cover of the comic book adaptation for The Winter Queen.

Azazel was filmed for television in 2003 by Alexander Adabashyan, and has also been adapted for the stage in Russia.^[20] Reviews of the play have not been very favorable and have called it long, windy, talky and situational,^[20] or entertaining but plodding.^[21] Paul Verhoeven owns the rights to a future English-language film version.^[22] Image File history File links Turkish_Gambit_movie_poster. ... Image File history File links Turkish_Gambit_movie_poster. ... 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. ... Image File history File links Fandorin_Azazel_comic. ... Image File history File links Fandorin_Azazel_comic. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Serge Sudeikins poster for the Bat Theatre (1922). ... This article is about the Dutch director; for the German director, actor, and writer see Paul Verhoeven (Germany). ...

In 2005, two further Fandorin novels, The Turkish Gambit and The Councillor of State, were made into big-budget movies by Dzhanik Faiziyev and Filip Yankovsky respectively. The adaptation of The Turkish Gambit set a new box office record with 19.23 million USD,^[23] beating The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King by more than 5 million USD.^[24] It was met by criticism from the Russian military, who said the film stains the memory of general Mikhail Skobelev.^[25] The Turkish Gambit won three Golden Eagle Awards (best art design, best costume design and best film editing), while The Councillor of State won two awards (best leading actor for Nikita Mikhalkov and best supporting actor for Konstantin Khabensky).^[26] 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The term box office can refer to either: A place where tickets are sold to the public for admission to a venue The amount of business a particular production, such as a movie or theatre show, does. ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... 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. ... Golden Eagle Award (Russian: премия Золотой Орел) is a Russian national award for motion pictures and Television made in Russia, run by the Russian Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, established in 2002, ostentatiously modelled on the Golden Globe Awards, as it honors both film and television achievments, given out in 20... Nikita Mikhalkov in the 2005 Fandorin movie The Councillor of State. ... Konstantin Khabensky (born January 11, 1972) is a famous Russian actor best known in the West for starring in the films Night Watch and Day Watch as the lead character Anton Gorodetsky. ...

Yin and Yang has also been performed on stage in Russia, with both versions performed back-to-back on two consecutive days. They met with critical acclaim. ^[21] As of this writing (September 2006), all Erast Fandorin films, plays and television programs have been made in Russian only.

The Winter Queen has also been adapted as a comic strip by Aleksey Kuzmichev. 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. ... This article is about the comic strip, the sequential art form as published in newspapers and on the Internet. ...

Awards

• The Crime Writers' Association of Britain nominated Akunin for the 2003 Dagger Awards for The Winter Queen, a translation of the novel "Azazel".^[27]
• Murder on the Leviathan was nominated for Best European Crime Novel in the Gumshoe Awards 2005.^[28]
• Coronation, or the Last of the Romanovs won the Russian Anti-Booker 2000 in the category Brothers Karamazov.^[9]

The Crime Writers Assocation (or CWA) is a UK-based organisation founded by John Creasey in 1953, which has become arguably the most important crime fiction institution in the country. ... The Gold Dagger was an award given annually by the CWA for best crime novel of the year. ... A modern interpretation of Azazel, from Collin de Plancys Dictionnaire Infernal (Paris,1825) This article is about the Biblical and post-Biblical character Azazel. ... Leviathan (Russian: Левиафан; English translation titled Murder on the Leviathan) is the third novel in the Erast Fandorin series by Boris Akunin. ... Coronation, or the last of the Romanovs (Коронация, или Последний из романов) is a historical novel by internationally acclaimed Russian detective story writer Boris Akunin, published in 2000. ...

See also

• Russian history, 1855-1892
• Russian history, 1892-1920

// Economic development The late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries were times of crisis for Russia. ... // Radical revolutionary parties During the 1890s, Russias industrial development led to a significant increase in the size of the urban bourgeoisie and the working class, setting the stage for a more dynamic political atmosphere and the development of radical parties. ...

References

External sources

• Dmitry Babich, "The Return of Patriotism?", retrieved 17 August 2006.
• Rebecca Reich, The St. Petersburg Times, "Akunin's plot thickens", retrieved 17 August 2006.
• Author's Website: www.akunin.ru Includes the complete texts, in Russian, of the first six Erast Fandorin novels.
• Official Website: Fandorin.ru
• Erast P. Fandorin Virtual Museum
• Councillor of State movie homepage
• The Moscow News, "Boris Akunin: Murder by Cliches", retrieved 7 september 2006.
• Leon Aron, "A champion for the bourgeoisie: reinventing virtue and citizenship in Boris Akunin's novels" in The National Interest, Spring 2004, retrieved 29 September 2006.