Ilya Ilf (Ilya Arnoldovich Faynzilberg, 1897-1937) and Evgeny or Yevgeny Petrov (Yevgeniy Petrovich Kataev or Katayev, 1903-1942) were two extremely popular Soviet prose authors of the 1920s. They did much of their writing together, and are almost always referred to as "Ilf and Petrov". They are best known for two satirical novels: The Twelve Chairs (Двенадцать Стульев) (1928) and The Little Golden Calf (Золотой Теленок) (1931). The two texts are connected by their main character, a con man called Ostap Bender out in pursuit of elusive riches. The two books are arranged in a chronological order, the events The Twelve Chairs coming first.

Both books follow the exploits of individuals that can be best described as petty criminals as they are looking for treasure amidst the contemporary Soviet reality. They were written and are set in the relatively liberal era in Soviet history, the 1920s and the New Economic Policy. The main characters generally avoid contact with the apparently lax law enforcement. Their position outside the organized, goal-driven, productive Soviet society is emphasized. It also gives the authors a convenient platform from which to look at this society and to make fun of its less attractive and less Socialist aspects. These are among the most widely read and quoted books in Russian culture. The Twelve Chairs was adapted for popular films both in the USSR and in the USA (by Mel Brooks in the latter).