I was born in Ukraine in a small town surrounded by forests. At that time, the Soviet Union, as a gigantic powerful country, held its citizens in very difficult social conditions.

My childhood has left a lot of vivid memories. From early childhood, for some reason, I liked to leave alone without hearing or seeing other people. At such moments, the understanding that I was a part of nature was coming to my mind. I could spend some hours with a pencil and an album, painting some pictures, quietly sitting in the room. I was painting my whole life for as long as I can remember.

As a teenager, I was an ordinary person and didn’t differ from my peers except, perhaps, my love for painting and some tremendous ruth for all living things.