Yakov Aronovich Kostyukovsky was born on August 23, 1921. He studied at philological faculty of IFLI (1939—1941). It was published in newspapers and magazines. In days of the Great Patriotic War — the responsible secretary of the divisional newspaper "Za Otechestvo!". Since 1948 together with Vladlen Bakhnov wrote feuilletons, satirical verses, plays, scenarios, reprises for performers and circus. Since 1963 he worked in collaboration with Maurice Slobodsky. He published several books. Together with it the scenario of the operetta "Two days of spring" according to works by I.O. Dunayevsky (musical edition of Evgeny Rokhlin) wrote. Together with M. Slobodsky and L. Gaidai wrote scenarios of three best-known comedies of L. Gaidai: "Operation "I" and other adventures of Shurik", "The Caucasian captive" and "Diamond Arm". On April 8, 2011 it was taken to the Moscow Botkin hospital in a serious condition. On April 11 he died from a myocardial infarction. It is buried at the Vvedensky cemetery.