High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Semyon Davidovich Kirlian (Russian: Семён Давидович Кирлиан; February 20, 1898 – April 4, 1978) was a Russian inventor and researcher of Armenian descent, who along with his wife Valentina Khrisanovna Kirlian (Russian: Валентина Хрисановна Кирлиан; died 1972), a teacher and journalist, discovered and developed Kirlian photography.