Writer, journalist, publicist. One of the most renowned authors of Izvestia, a master of the newspaper essay and publications on morality and human relationships.
Early YearsTatyana Nikolaevna Sosyura was born on 25 October 1906 in Odesa, into a family that valued art and creativity. In the 1920s, her parents’ home in Blyzhni Mlyny became a true center of the city’s cultural life. Young poets, artists, writers, and musicians gathered there — many of whom would later gain fame far beyond Odesa.

Tatyana studied at the Odesa Conservatory and played the piano beautifully, but her true passion turned out to be literature. She began writing poetry and collaborating with local newspapers and magazines. Her family had literary connections: her cousin was Volodymyr Sosyura, the celebrated Ukrainian poet.
The Beginning of Her Journalism CareerIn the early 1930s, the ambitious and energetic young woman from Odesa moved to Moscow, where she met the well-known editor and publicist Mykhail Koltsov. He was the one who invented her pseudonym — Tatyana Tess.

Soon, under this name, her first notes appeared in the nationwide newspaper Izvestia, followed by large-scale articles and essays. Tatyana quickly defined her main topics: morality, family relationships, and upbringing. Colleagues and readers alike praised her style — precise, thoughtful, and always sincere. For five decades she worked at Izvestia as a special correspondent and essayist, earning a reputation as one of the best in her field.
Literary Legacy and TravelsTatyana Tess wrote dozens of popular articles and books about writers, artists, and cultural figures — many of whom she personally knew. Her recollections of Isaac Babel are especially valuable: she not only preserved vivid stories about him but also took several of his photographs, one of which is considered the finest in capturing his character.

She traveled widely, observed the lives of people in different countries and cultures, and transformed those impressions into newspaper essays and books that consistently resonated with a broad readership.
Bond with OdesaDespite her decades-long career in Moscow, Tatyana Tess remained closely connected to her native Odesa. Her family members lived here — her sister Liubov Yakivna Sosyura, her nephew Kyrylo Antonovych Velikanov, and his wife Polina Heorhiivna Nikiforova. Their home became a gathering place for Odesa’s scientific and artistic elite in the 1950s–1980s, welcoming the city’s brightest cultural, academic, and literary figures.