The book presents the biography of the great Russian scientist Yuri Valentinovich Knorozov (1922–1999), who deciphered the Mayan hieroglyphic writing. The author of the book is Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor, Director of the Mesoamerican Center named after. Yu.V. Knorozova Russian State Humanitarian University Galina Gavrilovna Ershova, was his student. The story is told about a dramatic and at the same time amazing fate, which, like a mirror, reflected an exceptionally difficult era in the history of Russia. It is no coincidence that Knorozov himself ironically called himself “a child of Stalin’s time.” But his whole life proves that nobility and meanness, courage and cowardice are universal human qualities that do not depend on the era, the system, or the circumstances. The book is written on the basis of archival materials and memories of people who knew Yuri Valentinovich. In addition, letters and documents related to the life of Yu.V. are published for the first time. Knorozova. The book contains a wealth of illustrative material, which is also published for the first time. For historians, but will also be of interest to a wide range of readers.