Yury Em was born in 12 September 1953 in Kurgan, now the Cherdynsky district of the Perm Krai,[4] to a family of exiled settlers.

His father, Pavel, is a military pilot, gentleman of the Order of the Red Banner of Em Dun in, and his mother is a descendant of the Volga Germans.

From to 1980 to 1982 he fought in Afghanistan as part of a limited contingent of Soviet troops, where he acted as chief of staff of the parachute-long battalion.

[6] He was awarded the Order for the heroism in the battles, although it was supposed to represent the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

In the battles in Dagestan, at a height nicknamed the “donkey ear”, Em led this regiment, with him he freed the villages of the Tandinsky district.

Among the operations, he carried out was the release of many settlements and the capture of strategically important objects, and landing.

During the attack on the ambush, the militants were shell -shocked, but did not leave the battlefield, continuing to lead the actions of the fighters until the end of the battle.

On 21 February 2008, he was appointed military commissar of the Stavropol Krai, replacing Vitaly Tartarenko, who resigned.