Zinovy Zinik (Russian: Зиновий Зиник; born 1945) is a Russian‑language writer, essayist, and translator. He was born in Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg), Soviet Union, and graduated from Leningrad State University. After working as a journalist in the Soviet Union, Zinik emigrated in 1975, first to Israel and subsequently to the United Kingdom, where he has lived permanently.
Zinik writes primarily in Russian but also publishes in English. His literary output consists of essays, short stories, novels, and translations that often explore themes of Soviet and post‑Soviet society, cultural identity, exile, and the experience of the Russian diaspora. He has contributed regularly to Russian‑language periodicals published abroad, including Novy Zhurnal and Novy Mir. In addition to original works, Zinik has translated a range of Russian and English texts, facilitating cross‑cultural literary exchange.
His published collections of essays and prose have been issued by Russian and international publishing houses, and his work is held in the catalogues of major libraries. Specific titles include several essay collections released in the 1990s and 2000s; comprehensive bibliographic details are available through library and publishing records.
Zinik’s contributions to contemporary Russian literature are noted for their incisive commentary on social and political changes in the late‑Soviet period and the subsequent transition, as well as for their reflective treatment of the émigré experience. He continues to reside in the United Kingdom, where he remains active in literary circles and continues to write and translate.