Alexey Pajitnov

Overview

Alexey Pajitnov created Tetris in 1984 while working at the Soviet Academy of Sciences in Moscow. The game spread across the USSR via copied floppy disks, then escaped to the West, becoming one of the best-selling games in history. Because he was a Soviet employee, Pajitnov received nothing for years while companies fought over his creation.

Fast facts

Born: 1956 in Moscow, Soviet Union.
Education: Moscow Institute of Aviation.
Employer: Soviet Academy of Sciences, Computer Center.
Creation: Tetris, 1984.
Original platform: Electronika 60 (text-only display).
Rights: owned by Soviet government until 1996.
Emigration: moved to United States in 1991.
Finally paid: formed The Tetris Company in 1996, began receiving royalties.

The creation

Pajitnov worked on artificial intelligence at the Academy:

Loved puzzles, particularly pentominoes (five-square shapes)
Reduced to tetrominoes (four squares) for simplicity
Added gravity—pieces fall, stack, clear
Programmed first version on Electronika 60 (no graphics, text characters only)
The game spread through Soviet computer centres via disk copies

Soviet complications

Under Soviet law, Pajitnov owned nothing:

All intellectual property belonged to the state
The Academy licensed rights through ELORG (state software agency)
Multiple Western companies claimed various rights
Legal chaos lasted years
Pajitnov watched from Moscow as others profited

The escape

Tetris reached the West through complicated paths:

Hungarian programmers created an IBM PC version
British software house Andromeda claimed rights (dubiously)
Mirrorsoft, Spectrum HoloByte released Western versions
Nintendo sent Henk Rogers to Moscow to secure Game Boy rights
The legal battles became legendary

Life in America

Pajitnov emigrated in 1991:

Worked at Microsoft on puzzle games
Created Pandora’s Box, Hexic
Formed The Tetris Company (1996) with Henk Rogers
Finally began receiving royalties from his creation
Rights reverted to him when Soviet licence expired

Design philosophy

Pajitnov understood puzzle game fundamentals:

Simple rules: anyone can understand in seconds.
Infinite depth: mastery takes years.
No winning: play until you lose; the game always wins eventually.
Universal appeal: no language, no culture—just shapes.

Legacy

Pajitnov’s story is bittersweet. He created one of the most successful games ever made and earned nothing for over a decade. When he finally received his due, he approached it with equanimity—he’d made something that brought joy to billions. Not everyone needs to be rich. But everyone deserves credit.

The man who made Tetris