Leonid Leonov(1899-1994)

A writer his whole life, Leonov published poetry and theater reviews while still in school. In 1918, he joined his father, Maksim Lvovich Leonov, who was arrested in 1908 on charges of subversion, in Arkhangelsk where the latter had been exiled. He was involved in Soviet operations during WWI in the Red Army, but by the time of World War II, he was an established journalist and novelist. His crime novels dealt with themes of good and evil, set against a backdrop of 20th century Soviet history.