Svyatoslav Sakharnov Children's writer Date of Birth: 12.03.1923 Country: Russia

1. Biography of Svyatoslav Sakharnov
2. Writing Career
3. Literary Works

Biography of Svyatoslav Sakharnov

Svyatoslav Vladimirovich Sakharnov, a children's writer, was born on March 12, 1923, in Artemovsk, Ukraine. His parents passed away at an early age, so he was raised by his older sister. In 1940, Sakharnov enrolled in the M.V. Frunze Higher Naval School in Leningrad. In 1941, as a first-year cadet, he participated in battles on the Leningrad front. In the autumn of 1941, he was evacuated. He completed his naval school in Baku in 1944. After graduating, he fought in the Black Sea on a minesweeper near Novorossiysk and was awarded the Order of the Combat Red Banner. In 1945, as part of the Pacific Fleet, he participated in the war against Japan, fighting in the Korean ports of Rasin and Seisin.

Writing Career

After the war, Sakharnov continued his service in the Far East on torpedo boats as a navigator and chief of staff. Sakharnov was sent to study at the Naval Institute in Leningrad, where he defended his dissertation and obtained a scientific degree in naval science. It was during his studies in Leningrad that Sakharnov began writing his first stories and fairy tales. Children's writer Vitaly Bianki, who became Sakharnov's mentor, played a significant role in Sakharnov's development as a writer. Sakharnov's first published book, "Marine Tales," was released in 1954.

For fifteen years, Sakharnov served as the editor-in-chief of the "Koster" magazine. He participated in expeditions to the Arctic, the Commander Islands, the Kuril Islands, and Cuba. In 1974 and 1977, he lived in reserves in Tanzania and India.

Literary Works

Sakharnov mainly wrote about the sea and the underwater world in his works. He was the author of encyclopedias and popular science books dedicated to seafaring. While known in Russia as a children's writer, Sakharnov also wrote books for adults, such as the science fiction novel "Horse Above the City," the war novel "Kamikaze" about the Pacific War, and the book "Son of Lieutenant Schmidt," a humorous novel inspired by the works of Ilf and Petrov.

In the last years of his life, the writer worked on an unfinished and unpublished book called "The Emperor's Hat," with fragments of it being published in magazines.

Svyatoslav Sakharnov passed away on September 23, 2010, in St. Petersburg, Russia. He was awarded the Order of the Combat Red Banner. He received numerous awards for his works, including the first prize at the International Book Fair in Bologna (1972), the award at the festival in Bratislava (1973), and the silver medal at the International Book Exhibition in Moscow (1975). In 2004, Sakharnov was honored with the Honorary Diploma of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) for his book "Leopard in the Birdhouse."