Leonid Parfenov
Genres
History & Politics
Biography
Leonid Parfenov is one of the most renowned and respected journalists in modern Russia, not just a presenter, but the author of a range of projects that have defined an era in Russian TV.
Born in Cherepovets in 1960, Parfenov studied journalism at Leningrad State University. After working briefly in local television, he became a special correspondent for the national news.
Parfenov pioneered a unique form of historical documentary in his long-running series The Other Day: Our Times 1961-2003, an unprecedented chronicle of the final decades of the Soviet Union which captured the spirit of the times through a subtle analysis of historical facts and popular opinion. In 2009-10 a series of four lavishly-illustrated books based on the show was released. His latest award-winning documentary about the inventor of television, Vladimir Zworykin, has also just been released in book form.
In whatever genre he has worked—news, light entertainment, talk-shows, and now non-fiction publishing—Parfenov has raised the bar for contemporary journalism. His acceptance speech for the 2010 Vladislav Listyev Prize became one of the stories of the year in Russia when Parfenov launched a bold and impassioned defence of journalistic freedom.
Prizes and awards
| 2010 | Professional of the Year, Vedomosti |
| 2010 | Russian Union of Journalists Award for ‘Consistently artistic work in the context of mass-produced television’ for Zworykin from Murom |
| 2010 | Vladimir Listyev Prize for television journalism |
| 2009 | Grand Prix at the Moscow Book Fair 2009 for The Other Day. Our Times. 1961-70 |
| 2009 | Book of the Year, Afisha readers’ poll, for The Other Day. Our Times. 1961-70 |
| 2008 | Best Book by a Journalist, Federal Agency for Press and Mass Communications, for The Other Day. Our Times. 1961-70 |
| 2008 | Silver Ingot Award from Silver Rain FM for The Other Day. Our Times. 1961-70 |
| 2004 | Winner of the Russian Television Academy TEFI Award |
| 2002 | Winner of the Russian Television Academy TEFI Award |
| 2002 | TV Media Award, ‘Television Personality’ |
| 1999 | Winner of the Russian Television Academy TEFI Award |
| 1995 | Winner of the Russian Television Academy TEFI Award |