My Life: Before Exile

Mikhail Shemyakin shares his memories, from his childhood in Moscow to his exile from the Soviet Union in 1971. He describes his search for new forms and meanings in art, talks about how different events influenced his work, and does so with love and openness.

Shemyakin is known for his multifaceted creativity—he is an artist, sculptor, graphic artist, art historian, teacher, and stage director. His works can be seen in Russia and abroad, including his monuments in Saint Petersburg and Moscow, as well as his production of “The Nutcracker” at the Mariinsky Theatre.

The book “My Life” is the first part of Shemyakin’s autobiography, where he tells about a complex and dangerous, but beautiful time—about his parents, encounters with amazing people, and the difficulties, falls, and deprivations that shaped him as a person.