Children’s writer, poet, playwright and screenwriter. He was born in Moscow on 5th July 1958. Usachev has produced over 250 works for children in Russia. Six of his books are recommended by the Russian Ministry of Education as teaching aids in schools, including ‘Safety Advice for Everyday Life) (for 7-10 year-olds), ‘Declaration of Human Rights’, ‘My Geographical Discoveries’ and ‘Learning to Save Energy’ (for 9-10 year olds). Aside from his poetry and prose, Usachev has written a great deal for the stage, mainly for puppet theatre and musical productions. He has written or co-written around 15 plays. His plays have been performed in 50 theatres in Russia as well as in Ukraine and Belarus.