Boris Akunin (Russian: Борис Акунин) is the pen name of Grigori Chkhartishvili (Russian: Григорий Шалвович Чхартишвили, romanized: Grigory Shalvovich Chkhartishvili; Georgian: გრიგორი ჩხარტიშვილი, born 20 May 1956), a Russian-Georgian writer. He is best known as writer of detective and historical fiction. He is also an essayist and literary translator. Grigory Chkhartishvili has also written under pen names Anatoly Brusnikin, Anna Borisova, and Akunin-Chkhartishvili. His characters include Erast Fandorin, Nicholas Fandorin and Sister Pelagia.