Yulian Semyonov

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Yulian Semyonov (Юлиа́н Семёнович Семёнов IPA [julʲɪˈan sʲɪˈmʲonəvʲɪtɕ sʲɪˈmʲonəf]) (October 8, 1931 - September 5, 1993) was a Russian writer of spy fiction. 

In 1968, Semyonov wrote the ideologically orthodox novel The Seventeen Instants of Spring, a story of a Russian spy, "Stirlitz", during 17 days at the very end of World War II. It was published in English under the title "The Himmler Ploy". It was also produced as a TV series Seventeen Instants of Spring which became immencely popular and created Stirlitz jokes which survived the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

He also wrote several novels about a White emigre spy sent to the Soviet Union. These were made into the movie "Resident's Error" (Oshibka Rezidenta) (1968), which spawned three sequels.

After the success of the Seventeen Instants, Semyonov created a large cycle of political detectives featuring Stirlits. he also authored a number of other criminal and political detectives, as well as a series of novens about Felix Dzerzhinsky.