Leonid Yakutin (1940-2009) worked as a miner before becoming a photojournalist during his time in the navy. After graduating in journalism at Lvov Higher Military-Political Academy, he started working for several newspapers and magazines in the Soviet Union. Yakutin traveled to Vietnam and Afghanistan and many other countries around the world. His military background made him a specialist in photographing the army. He also provided the photos for Carey Scofield's landmark book Inside the Soviet Military (1991). Leonid Yakutin worked as the personal photographer for nearly all of Russia's ministers of defense between 1996 and 2007.
