Dmitri Lipskerov
Dmitri Mikhailovich Lipskerov () (born February 19, 1964 in Moscow, Russia) is a Russian writer and dramatist. Biography. Dmitri Lipskerov was born on February 19th 1964 in Moscow, Soviet Union into the family of a well-known dramatist and cartoon animator («Ограбление по…», «Волк и телёнок») , and Inna Lipskerova, a music editor in the . In 1981-1985 he studied in the prestigious Boris Shchukin Theater Institute. A year before graduating, in 1984 he played a part in the film "Osoboe Podrazdelenie" (Special Unit) made by Dmitri began his writing career as a dramatist. In 1989 under the supervision Oleg  Tabakov the author staged his first play, "Reka Na Asfalte" (River on Asphalt), which later put on in more than 1,500 theatres and theatre studios. The play "Schkola Dlya Immigrantov" (School for Immigrants), first written in 1988 under the name of "Schkola S Teatral’nym Uklonom" (Theatre School), was staged in Lenkom in 1990, starring famous actors, such as Oleg Yankovsky, Aleksandr Zbruyev, Aleksandr Abdulov and Nikolai Karachentsov. Dmitri Lipskerov is a winner of the Moscow Komsomol Prize and also the youngest member of the Soviet Writers Union, which he joined in 1989. In 1991 he had left the Soviet Union  to go to the US, where he lived until 1993. Following the above-mentioned events, Dmitri had turned away from writing plays. The journal published the writer's first novel "Sorok let Chanchzhoe" (The Forty Years of Chanchzhoeh) appeared in in 1996, and the following year was published by . The novel quickly gained fame and was included in the shortlist of the Russian Booker Award. In 1997-1998 he was the author of the television game "Zolotaya Likhoradka" (Gold Rush), which appeared on ORT. In 1998 Lipskerov together with a state deputy Andrey Skoch became a co-founder of the  Debut prize for works of fiction by young Russian writers. During the first year, he was head of the jury as well as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees. In 2000-2001 published the author's three-volume of works and later in 2002 – a five-volume collection of works in the publishing house . In 2004 the publishing house releases another three-volume of works. AST joined in by publishing an eight-volume collection in 2007 and a five-volume collection later in the years. Altogether, Dmitri Lipskerov is an author of 11 novels, dozens of tales and stories , adding to more than 20 plays. In 2006-2010 Dmitri was a member of the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation in the position of a Deputy Chairman of the Commission on Culture. In 2008 he established a literature prize "Neformat." The president thanked Dmitri Lipskerov for his contribution to the development of domestic literature and active social activity. The author rarely gives interviews, preferring a concealed lifestyle. A little-known fact about Dmitri is that his book "Vsyakiy Kapitan Primadonna" (Any Captain is a Primadonna) was published after Dmitri himself sailed across the Atlantic Ocean, from the Caribbean to  Europe, having never before had any experience sailing. The book includes comical snippets that are excerpts from his real-life experience of crossing the Atlantic with only two other people on board. Lipskerov lives in Moscow, and in addition to his literary work, is known as a successful restaurant owner. Dmitri's most prominent restaurant, cleverly named, "Ris i Riba" (Rice and Fish) was one of the largest and oldest, and widely regarded as one of the best sushi establishments in Moscow and all of Russia. He has two children: Konstantin and Sofia. Controversy. On June 3, 2005, Lipskerov (together  with radio personality A.Gordon) has circulated an "Open letter to journalists of radio station "Echo of Moscow"" expressing support for state-run campaign against Mikhail Khodorkovsky directed on takeover of his oil company "Yukos" which culminated in Khodorkovski's conviction and imprisonment. In subsequent discussions there followed allegations of revival of Soviet tradition of KGB-orchestrated participation of intelligentsia in 'public campaign of protest' along with staged show trials.