# Ilya Ilf

> Soviet writer and journalist (1897–1937)

**Wikidata**: [Q471443](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q471443)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilya_Ilf)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/ilya-ilf

## Summary
Ilya Ilf was a Soviet writer and journalist, best known as one half of the celebrated literary duo Ilf and Petrov. Together with Yevgeny Petrov, he authored the satirical novels "The Twelve Chairs" (1928) and "The Little Golden Calf" (1931), which introduced the iconic character Ostap Bender to literature. His work, spanning satire, prose, and journalism, left a lasting mark on Soviet culture.

## Biography
- **Born:** October 3, 1897 (also recorded as October 16, 1897), Russian Empire
- **Nationality:** Soviet Union; Russian Empire (by birth)
- **Education:** [Not provided in source]
- **Known for:** Co-authoring "The Twelve Chairs" and "The Little Golden Calf"; creating the character Ostap Bender
- **Employer(s):** [Not explicitly named, but worked as editing staff]
- **Field(s):** Literature, Journalism, Satire

## Contributions
- **The Twelve Chairs:** Co-authored the novel with Yevgeny Petrov (inception 1927, published 1928). It is a seminal work of Soviet satire.
- **The Little Golden Calf:** Co-authored the novel with Yevgeny Petrov (1931). This sequel continued the adventures of the character Ostap Bender.
- **Character Creation:** Created the fictional conman Ostap Bender and the character Shura Balaganov, who appear in the duo's novels.
- **Literary Genres:** Contributed to the genres of satire, feuilleton, novella, prose, and speculative fiction.
- **Journalism:** Worked as a journalist and editing staff, contributing to media through written works.

## FAQs
**What are Ilya Ilf's most famous works?**
Ilya Ilf is best known for the novels "The Twelve Chairs" (1928) and "The Little Golden Calf" (1931), both co-written with Yevgeny Petrov.

**Who was Ilya Ilf's writing partner?**
He worked in a duo with Yevgeny Petrov; together they were known as "Ilf and Petrov."

**What characters did Ilya Ilf create?**
Ilf co-created the fictional conman Ostap Bender and Shura Balaganov.

**What was Ilya Ilf's birth name?**
His birth name was Iekhiel-Leib Arievich Fainzilberg.

**What other professions did Ilya Ilf have?**
In addition to being a writer and journalist, Ilf worked as a screenwriter, photographer, mechanic, science fiction writer, satirist, humorist, playwright, prose writer, and editing staff.

## Why They Matter
Ilya Ilf's collaboration with Yevgeny Petrov produced some of the most enduring satirical works in Soviet literature. Their novels provided a critical yet humorous look at life in the USSR, with the character Ostap Bender becoming a cultural archetype. The duo's influence extended beyond novels into screenplays and journalism, shaping the genre of Soviet satire and humor.

## Notable For
- Being a member of the Soviet writing duo "Ilf and Petrov."
- Authoring the novel "The Twelve Chairs" in 1928.
- Authoring the novel "The Little Golden Calf" in 1931.
- Creating the fictional conman Ostap Bender.
- Creating the fictional character Shura Balaganov.
- Working as a journalist, satirist, and humorist.
- Using numerous pseudonyms, including Vitaly Pseldonimov and I. Variant.
- Holding citizenship in both the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union.

## Body

### Identity and Background
Ilya Ilf, born Iekhiel-Leib Arievich Fainzilberg, was a prominent Soviet writer and journalist. He lived from 1897 to 1937, holding citizenship in both the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union. Throughout his career, he utilized a vast array of pseudonyms, including Илья Арнольдович Ильф, Виталий Пселдонимов, И., Иф., А. И. Ильф, И. Вариант, Лахневич, Ильф, И—Ф., А. Немаловажный, Иф, И. Фальберг, И. А. Пселдонимов, Дон Бузильо, А. Старосольский, Ф. Толстоевский, Франц Бакен-Бардов, Коперник, and Холодный философ.

### Professional Occupations
Ilf's professional life was multifaceted, encompassing roles across various creative and technical fields. His occupations included:
- **Writer:** A person who uses written words to communicate ideas and produce literary works.
- **Journalist:** A person who collects, writes, and distributes news and other information.
- **Satirist:** An author of satirical texts.
- **Humorist:** An intellectual who uses humor in writing or public speaking.
- **Screenwriter:** A writer who writes for films, TV shows, comics, and games.
- **Playwright:** A person who writes plays.
- **Prose Writer:** A person who writes in prose.
- **Science Fiction Writer:** A person who writes works of science fiction.
- **Photographer:** A person who takes photographs.
- **Mechanic:** A profession involving machinery.
- **Editing Staff:** An employee who takes on editorial tasks within the media.

### The Ilf and Petrov Duo
Ilya Ilf was one half of the "Ilf and Petrov" writing duo, a partnership that defined his literary legacy. Together with Yevgeny Petrov, he created significant works of Soviet literature. The duo is classified under the occupations of writer, journalist, and satirist.

### Literary Works and Publications
Ilf's bibliography includes notable contributions to literature, particularly in the genres of satire, prose, and feuilleton.

- **The Twelve Chairs:** A novel published in 1928 (inception dated to 1927). It is one of his most famous works, co-authored with Yevgeny Petrov.
- **The Little Golden Calf:** A novel published in 1931, also co-authored with Yevgeny Petrov.

### Fictional Characters
Ilf is credited with creating or developing several fictional characters that appear in his novels:
- **Ostap Bender:** A fictional conman who is the central character in "The Twelve Chairs" and "The Little Golden Calf."
- **Shura Balaganov:** A fictional character appearing in "The Little Golden Calf."

### Historical Context
Ilf was born in the **Russian Empire** in 1897, a sovereign state that spanned Eurasia and North America. The empire, which had been an absolute monarchy until 1905 and a constitutional monarchy until its dissolution, was replaced by the Russian Republic in 1917 following the February and October Revolutions. Subsequently, Ilf lived and worked in the **Soviet Union**, the former country in Eurasia that existed from 1922 to 1991.

### External Identifiers and Archival Data
Ilya Ilf is cataloged in numerous databases and libraries with the following identifiers:
- **ISNI:** 0000000121235608
- **VIAF:** 22143414
- **GND:** 11870866X
- **LCCN:** n50031589
- **BNF:** 119081889
- **ULAN:** 500044425
- **NLA:** 3634866
- **NDL:** 00444205
- **BIBSYS:** 90206717
- **SUDOC:** 026930153
- **BNE:** XX1010718
- **NKC:** jn19981001519
- **B2B:** 111520
- **ICCU:** CFIV087241
- **J9U:** 9810700624705606
- **NLA:** 53062760
- **RKDartists:** 8986472
- **SNAC:** 22143414
- **LIR:** 2239
- **KANT:** 562239
- **NUKAT:** 9910205609705
- **WLA:** 79526
- **CBA:** 776493
- **RERO:** 981005684139709366
- **VIAF:** 10534
- **SELIBR:** 101484
- **ORCID:** 0000000121235608
- **NLI:** 987007280449105171
- **PTBNP:** 27724
- **WorldCat Identities:** lccn-n50031589
- **B611:** 11870866X
- **CERL Thesaurus:** cnp01945822
- **IdRef:** 070582394
- **CONOR:** 90075820
- **LNB:** 000407544
- **NLP:** A000085078
- **NUKAT:** 9910636356605606
- **SIKART:** 79526
- **TLS:** 11870866X
- **Trove:** 27130
- **BNE:** XX1010718
- **Open Library:** OL4281817A, OL4508704A, OL2197124A
- **IdRef:** 11870866X
- **Freebase:** /m/0374k8
- **MusicBrainz:** 3914105
- **Bibliothèque nationale de France ID:** 119081889
- **GND ID:** 11870866X
- **Library of Congress Authority ID:** n50031589
- **VIAF ID:** 22143414
- **ISNI:** 0000000121235608
- **NLA Trove ID:** 27130
- **NKC ID:** jn19981001519
- **BIBSYS ID:** 90206717
- **ULAN ID:** 500044425
- **LCCN ID:** n50031589
- **BNF ID:** 119081889
- **NDL ID:** 00444205
- **RKDartists ID:** 8986472
- **ICCU ID:** CFIV087241
- **SUDOC ID:** 026930153
- **B2B ID:** 111520
- **J9U ID:** 9810700624705606
- **NLA ID:** 53062760
- **LIR ID:** 2239
- **KANT ID:** 562239
- **NUKAT ID:** 9910205609705
- **WLA ID:** 79526
- **CBA ID:** 776493
- **RERO ID:** 981005684139709366
- **VIAF (clone) ID:** 10534
- **SELIBR ID:** 101484
- **ORCID ID:** 0000000121235608
- **NLI ID:** 987007280449105171
- **PTBNP ID:** 27724
- **WorldCat Identities ID:** lccn-n50031589
- **B611 ID:** 11870866X
- **CERL Thesaurus ID:** cnp01945822
- **IdRef ID:** 070582394
- **CONOR ID:** 90075820
- **LNB ID:** 000407544
- **NLP ID:** A000085078
- **NUKAT ID:** 9910636356605606
- **SIKART ID:** 79526
- **TLS ID:** 11870866X
- **Trove ID:** 27130
- **BNE ID:** XX1010718
- **Open Library IDs:** OL4281817A, OL4508704A, OL2197124A
- **Freebase ID:** /m/0374k8
- **MusicBrainz Artist ID:** 3914105
- **IMDb ID:** nm0407633
- **Wikidata ID:** Q465826
- **Wikipedia Title:** Ilya Ilf
- **Wikidata Description:** Soviet writer and journalist (1897–1937)

## References

1. [Source](http://sptimes.ru/index.php?action_id=2&story_id=36196)
2. [Source](http://www.sptimes.ru/archive/pdf/1727.pdf)
3. [Source](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0407633/bio)
4. [Source](http://russia.rin.ru/guides_e/5218.html)
5. [Source](http://russiapedia.rt.com/prominent-russians/literature/ilya-ilf--evgeny-petrov/)
6. Virtual International Authority File
7. BnF authorities
8. IMDb
9. [Source](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1934490/)
10. [Source](http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1403376/Ilf-and-Petrov)
11. The Fine Art Archive
12. [Source](https://www.lechaim.ru/ARHIV/165/ilf.htm)
13. [Argumenty i Fakty](http://www.aif.ru/archive/1685388)
14. [Source](http://www.imena.mk.ua/?023/13)
15. CiNii Research
16. Russian literature of the 20th century. Volume 2, 2005
17. Find a Grave
18. Internet Speculative Fiction Database
19. Brockhaus Enzyklopädie
20. Great Norwegian Encyclopedia
21. Proleksis Encyclopedia
22. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
23. Integrated Authority File
24. The Movie Database
25. LIBRIS. 2017
26. Virtual Study of Theatre Institute
27. Catalogo of the National Library of India