Zakhar Prilepin (born Yevgeniy Nikolayevich Prilepin; born July 7, 1975, in the village of Ilyinka, Ryazan Region) is a Russian writer, journalist, and public figure whose biography and creative career are substantially connected to Nizhny Novgorod Region. In September 2025, he was elected chairman of the board of the Nizhny Novgorod Regional Branch of the Union of Writers of Russia.[1]

The Nizhny Novgorod Years: Education and Service

In 1984, he moved to Dzerzhinsk with his family. In the early 1990s, he enrolled in the philology faculty of Lobachevsky University, but in 1994 took a leave of absence and entered the army. After six months of military service, he enrolled in the Police Academy attached to the Nizhny Novgorod Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Upon graduating, he worked in the patrol and guard service, and in the mid-1990s served in the Nizhny Novgorod OMON (special police unit), holding the positions of squad commander and deputy platoon commander. He participated in the operation to restore constitutional order in Chechnya in 1996 and in the counter-terrorism operation in Dagestan. He left the service in 1999 — the same year he graduated from the philology faculty of Lobachevsky University.[2]

Journalism and Literature in Nizhny Novgorod

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, he took part in activities of the National Bolshevik Party (banned in Russia). In 2000, he joined the newspaper Delo, and in 2001 became its editor. In the mid-2000s, he served as editor-in-chief of the internet portal "APN — Nizhny Novgorod." From 2007 to 2015, he held the position of editor-in-chief of the Nizhny Novgorod edition of Novaya Gazeta, while simultaneously serving as co-founder and general director of Pervaya Media Gruppa.[2]

His debut novel Pathologies was first published in the journal Sever in 2004 and came out as a standalone edition in 2005 from the Andreyevsky Flag publishing house.[2] In 2025, the novel Tuma was published, set in the Nizhny Novgorod region; the book was highly praised by Governor Gleb Nikitin. At the presentation, it became known that the author was planning a film adaptation and a musical based on his novel about Razin, on whose pirate theme he had also been working.[1]

Chairman of the Union of Writers

On September 23, 2025, at the general meeting of members of the Nizhny Novgorod Regional Branch of the Union of Writers of Russia, Prilepin was elected chairman of the board with the support of a consolidated majority. The nomination was put forward by Vladimir Medinsky, chairman and first secretary of the Union of Writers of Russia; the initiative had been approved by Governor Gleb Nikitin. The board also included Oleg Ryabov, Dmitriy Terentyev, Vladimir Bezdenezhnykh, Marina Kulakova, Aleksandr Myurisep, and Oleg Zakharov. The branch director, Nadezhda Shevelilova, outlined the priorities: raising the status of the writer in society, attracting young people, and participating in federal projects. The existing regional organization of the Union of Writers of Russia and the city branch suspended their activities from 2026.[1]

The 2023 Assassination Attempt

On May 6, 2023, Prilepin's car was blown up in Nizhny Novgorod Region. The driver was killed, and the writer sustained serious injuries.[2]

Sources

  1. NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" — Zakhar Prilepin becomes chairman of the Nizhny Novgorod Writers' Union. Nizhny Novgorod News (archive)
  2. Kommersant (Volga Region) — Zakhar Prilepin: biography, career, photo (archive)