Nikolai(y) Nikolaevich Nosov Russian: 23 November 1908 in Kiev – 26 July 1976 in Moscow) was a Soviet children's literature writer, the author of a number of humorous short stories, a school novel, and the popular trilogy of fairy tale novels about the adventures of Dunno and his friends. Nosov N.N. was born in a family of an entertainer actor. From 1927 to 1929 he was a student of Kiev Institute of Art, from where he moved to Moscow Institute of Cinematography, from which he graduated in 1932. The literary debut of Nosov was in 1938. In 1932 – 1951 he worked as a producer of animated and educational films, including ones for the Red Army, having earned the Order of the Red Star in 1943. In 1938 Nosov began to publish his stories, including Zatejniki; Alive Hat, Cucumbers, Miraculous Trousers, and Dreamers. These stories were published mainly in the magazine for children Murzilka and many of them make up the foundation of the Nosov's first collection Rat-tat-tat, 1945). Nosov introduced a new hero, naïve and sensible, naughty and curious fidget obsessed by craving for activities and always getting into unusual, often comic situations – into children's literature. The most popular works became his stories for teenagers Merry Family (1949), The Kolya Sinitsyn's Diary (1950), Vitya Maleev at School and at Home (1951). This last one received State Stalin Prize in 1952. Long-term fame and love of readers were gained by his fairy stories about Dunno (Neznaika). The first of those is the fairy tale Vintik, Shpuntik and vacuum cleaner. Further the hero appeared in the famous trilogy consisting of fairy tale novels The Adventures of Dunno and His Friends (1953–1954), Dunno in Sun City (1958), and Dunno on the Moon (1964–1965). He received the RSFSR State Prize in 1969; the award is commemorated to Nadezhda Krupskaya. The writer is also the author of an autobiographical work Story about My Friend Igor (1971–1972) and a memoirs narrative Mystery on a Well Bottom (1977).
