Valerian Gribayedoff

Who was Valerian Gribayedoff?

Valerian Gribayedoff was a journalist most famous for introducing illustrated drawings into newspapers and capturing some of the only photos during the trial for the Dreyfus Affair in 1897. He was born in Kronstadt, Russia in 1858, and many believed him to have been of noble birth, possibly related to Alexander Griboyedov. Educated in St. Petersburg, England, France, and Germany, he came later to America working as a journalist, rising to prominence by recreating drawings from photos to be included in the newspapers that were more lifelike than any others in the field. In 1897 he left the United States for Paris, covering the Dreyfus Affair. His last work for an American newspaper was covering the Russo-Japanese War as a correspondent in Siberia. He died in Paris in 1908.