BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES

1926   Born April 9, 1926, in Sverdlovsk (Ekaterinburg) in the Urals

1939-42   Wins national competition and attends special school for artistically gifted children, first in Leningrad, then in Samarkand (during the war years)

1942-45   Volonteers for service in the Soviet Armed Forces. Commissioned as airborn commando officer and sees action on Second Ukrainian front. Severely wounded in Austria on April 22, 1945, declared dead, and "posthumously" awarded the Order of the Red Star for heroism

1945   Teaches drawing at Suvorov Cadet School in Sverdlovsk

1946   Starts to study art at the Academy for Fine Arts in Riga, Latvia

1947-54   Studies art at Surikov Institute of Art, Moscow. At the same time studies philosophy at Moscow University

1955   Becomes a member of Sculpture Section of the Union of Soviet Artists, Moscow Branch

1954-62   Participates in republican and All-Union exhibitions of young artists, Moscow

1956   Begins work on Tree of Life project

1957   Wins two medals at the Fourth International Festival of Youth and Students in Moscow

1958   Begins to work on Gigantomachia series. The concept of Heart of Humanity evolves into the Tree of Life architectural monument to human creativity in art, science, and technology

1959   Wins national competition for Victory monument commemorating Soviet victory over Nazi Germany

1962   Takes part in Manege exhibition in Moscow to mark the 30th anniversary of MOSKH (Moscow Section of the Artist's Union) where the notorious conflict with Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev takes place

1963   Begins to work on series of etchings and drawings on Dostoevsky's books

1965   Exhibition at Museum of Contemporary Art, Belgrade. Takes part in symposium, "Sculpture in Free Space", and erects two sculptures — Centaur and Stone Tears — in Yugoslavia. Joint exhibition with Marc Chagall at Grosvenor Gallery, London

1966   Executes 150-meter decorative relief, Monument for All the Worlds' Children for Artek Children Summer Camp in the Crimea. Begins work on series of etchings and drawings illustrating Dante. Exhibition at Museum of Contemporary Art, Vienna and at Lambert Gallery, Paris

1968   Illustrates Short Works of Dante (Moscow: Nauka, 1968). His design of monument for the Aswan Dam in Egypt. Lotus Bl ossom wins international contest

1969   Exhibition of illustrations to Dante's Inferno at Astley Gallery in Koping, Sweden

1970   Exhibitions at Museum of Modern Art in Paris, and Museum of Fine Arts in Locarno, Italy. Takes part in exhibition by Veterans of World War II and in Lenin's Centenary Exhibition in Moscow. Publication of Fedor Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment with illustrations by Neizvestny

1972   Executes tombstone for Nikita Khrushchev at Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow, 970-meter decorative relief for Institute of Electronics and Technology in Moscow, 15m stainless steel sculpture Prometheus for Electro-72 exhibition and sculptural monument Wings for Institute of Light Alloys in Moscow. Exhibits at the Museum of Modern Art in Tel Aviv

1974   Takes part in "Progressive Currents" exhibition at Boshum Museum, West Germany. His sculpture Large Crucifix was bought by Vatican Museum

1975   Designs monumental architectural facade for headquarters of Central Committee of the Communist Party in Ashkhabad, Turkmenia. Exhibitions in Vienna, Berlin and at Lincoln Center, New York

1976   Emigrates to the West and settles in Zurich, Switzerland. Completes bronze head of Dmitri Shostakovich for Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC. Alexander Zinoviev publishes The Yawning Heights where Neizvestny is depicted as the central character

1977   Moves to New York City, but keeps studio in Zurich. Begins to lecture on art and philosophy at universities in the United States

1978   Featured in film version of Alexander Solzhenitsyn's Nobel Lecture One Word of Truth. Guest speaker at the national meeting of American Association for the advancement of Slavic Studies at Asilomar, California

1982   On Synthesis in Art published

1983   Presents Heart of Christ sculpture to the Pope. Appointed Humanist-in-Residence at the University of Oregon, USA, and conducts a lecture course on Synthesis in Russian Culture. Lecture tour on Art and Freedom in twelve Oregon cities. Holds exhibition at Museum of Art, University of Oregon, and takes part in symposium on Freedom and Culture in the Soviet Union. Columbia University invites Neizvestny as honorary lecturer on art and philosophy. Starts designing a memorial to victims of South Korean airliner shot down over the Soviet territory

1984   First collection of essays in Russian Neizvestny Speaks published. Lectures on Art and Society at Harvard University. Participates in Seven Dissident Artists at Magna Gallery, San Francisco. Work is started on the Tree of Life Museum in Uttersberg, Sweden

1987   Tree of Life Museum dedicated to Neizvestny's works opens in Uttersberg, Sweden. Body: Man as Visual Sign and Art and Society published

1988   Designs New Statue of Liberty in honor of the Republic of China and the Third World. Holds nation-wide exhibitions at Modern Art Museum in Taiwan and presents a model of New Statue of Liberty to the Taiwan government. Meets with Pope John Paul II and presents him with model of New Statue of Liberty

1989   Completes illustrations to jubilee edition of Samuel Beckett's plays. Lectures on culture at Moscow State University. Commissioned to design Holocaust monument in Riga, Latvia, and memorial to victims of Stalinism in Vorkuta, USSR. Soviet documentary film Will the Visionary Answer for the Blind? released in the USSR. On synthesis of the arts published in Problems of Philosophy, after twenty year delay. Elected to full membership in European Academy of Arts, Sciences, and Humanities

1990   First collection of essays in English, Space, Time, and Synthesis in Art: Essays on Art, Literature, and Philosophy published. Commisioned to design memorials to the Victims of Stalinism in Magadan and Sverdlovsk, USSR. Neizvestny Museum set up in Sverdlovsk. Starts working on the Ecclesiastic. Exhibition at the Ergane Gallery

1991   Continued work on the Monuments to the Victims of Stalinism, visits Russia. Discussions start in regards to erecting the memorial for the victims of the shot down Korean Airliner

1992    Book of Man's Fate etchings, under the title Artist's Fate is published. Exhibition at. the Jewish Museum in Washington DC. Exhibition at the Le Monde Del'Art, Paris. Reception given in Neizvestny's honor by Ambassador of Russian Federation in Washington DC. Commissioned to create a four meter monument, The Golden Child for Odessa's 700th anniversary. Completes work on the Ecclesiastic Series and exhibit it for the first time

1993    Russian version of Space, Time and Synthesis published, entitled Centaur. Neizvestny is appointed an Advisor on Culture for the government of Russia. Money to complete monument to the Victims of Stalinism awarded by Yeltsin during a speech in Magadan on Neizvestny's 67th birthday. Exhibit held honoring the Tree of Life Peace Monument at the Russian Federation Mission to the United Nations. New book by John Berger started; including Fate etchings and Berger's poems and writings

1994    Finishes The Golden Child, installed in Odessa in May, 1995. Exhibit of works at the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Washington DC. Work continues on the Triangle of Suffering. Exhibits in California and Moscow

1995    Started working on a monument for Kalmykia, Exodus and Return. Executes Orpheus statuette to be awarded to winners of TEFY TV-contest, Moscow, Bronze model of Tree of Life is presented by government of Russia to mark UNO's 50th anniversary

1958    Forty years of the Komsomol exhibition, Moscow, USSR

1961    Druzhba Club, Moscow, USSR
The Nine, Moscow, USSR

1962    Moscow University, Moscow, USSR
Bolshaya Kommunisticheskaya Street, Moscow, USSR
Manege Exhibition Hall, Moscow, USSR

1964   Grosvenor Gallery, London, England

1965    Museum of Modern Art, Belgrade
Grosvenor Gallery, London, England
Viola Gallery, Czechoslovakia
Palais des Expositions, Geneva, Switzerland
Capck Brothers Gallery, Prague, Czechoslovakia

1966   Museum of Modern Art, Vienna, Austria
Galerie Lambert, Paris, France
Sopot-Poznan, Poland

1968   Grosvenor Gallery, London, England

1969    Musee d'Art Moderne, Paris, France
Galleria la Barcaccia, Montecatini, Italy
Galleris Pananti, Florence, Italy
Gallery Astley, Kopping, Sweden

1970   Musee d'Art Moderne dc la ville de Paris, Paris, France
Museo Belle Arti, Locarno, Switzerland
Galerie Cmurzynska, Cologne, West Germany

1971   Galleria Anthea, Rome, Italy

1972    Museum ofModern Art, Tel Aviv, Israel

1973    Museum an Ostwall, Dortmund, West Germany

1974    Bochum Museum, Bochum, West Germany

1975   New York Cultural Center, New York, USA
Kunstlerhaus, Vienna, Austria
Braunschweize Kunstverein, West Berlin, Germany
Kunstamit Charlottengurg, West Berlin, Germany

1976   Stedelijik Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Kunstverein Museum, Constance, West Germany
Parkway Focus Gallery, London, England

1977   Galerie Scheidegger, Zurich, Switzerland
Galleri Astley, Uttersberg, Sweden
Stadtisches Museum, Leverkusen, West Germany

1978   Thielska Galleriet, Umea, Sweden
Lilla Galleriet, Umea, Sweden
Menzoni Galleria d'Arte, Milan, Italy
Centre D'Artc Dolomiti, Cortina, Italy
Hoist halvorsens Kunsthandes, Oslo, Norway

1979    Eduard Nakhamkin Fine Art, New York, USA

1984    Magna Gallery, San Francisco, USA

1985    Magna Gallery, San Francisco, USA
Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, New York, USA

1987    Ulrich Museum of Art, Wichita, Kansas, USA
Eduard Nakhamkin Fine Art, New York, USA

1988    Sotheby's Auction to benefit American Kidney Foundation, New York, USA
National Tour, Museums of Modern Arts, Republic of China

1989    Nakhamkin Fine Arts, New York, USA
Magna Galleries, New York and San Francisco, USA
Connaught Brown Gallery, London, England
Galeris Clara Maria Sels, Dusseldorf, Germany

1990    Magna Galleries, New York and San Francisco, USA

1991    Erganc Gallery, New York, USA

1992   Jewish Museum, Washington DC, USA
Le Monde de l'Art, Paris, France
Kunstverein Museum, Constance, West Germany
Embassy of the Russian Federation, Washington DC, USA

1993    Russian Federation Mission to the United Nations, New York, USA
Steven's Institute of Technology, NJ, USA

1994    La Quinta Sculpture Park, CA, USA
Exibit 1022, CA, USA
Embassy of the Russian Federation, Washington DC, USA
Morris International Festival of the Arts, NY, USA

1995   Jewish Museum, New York, USA
Gordona Loncar Fine Arts, Pennsylvania, USA Zimmerly Museum, NJ, USA

Dostoevsky Museum, Moscow
Erevan Gallery, Armenia, USSR
L'vov Gallery, Ukraine, USSR
Moderna Museet, Stockholm, Sweden
Municipality of Oslo Art Collection, Norway
Musee d'Art Moderne, Paris, France
Museum of Art, University of California, Berkeley, USA
Museum of Modern Ecclesiastical Art,The Vatican
Museum of Modern Art, New York, USA
Jewish Museum, New York, USA
Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, DC, USA
Kursk Museum, USSR
Russian Museum, Leningrad, USSR
Sculpture Park, Schulman Building, New York, USA
Sven-Olov Andersons Torg, Koping, Sweden
Tillska Museum, Stockholm
Tretiakov Gallery, Moscow, USSR
Vardshuset Flottaren, Vansbro, Sweden
Volgograd Gallery, USSR
Vologda Museum, USSR
Israel Museum, Jerusalem, Israel
Tel Aviv Museum of Modern Art, Tel Aviv, Israel
Museum of Modern Art, Belgrade
Museum of Ernst Neizvestny, Stockholm
Tree of Life Museum, Sweden
Jewish Museum, Washington DC, USA

Wins national competition to attend special school for artistically gifted children, 1939
Awarded the Order of the Red Star for heroism on the Second Ukrainian front, 1945
Invited to become a member of Union of Soviet Artists, 1955
Wins two medals at International Festival of Youth in Moscow, 1957
Wins national competition for "Victory" war monument commemoration Soviet victory over Nazi Germany, 1959
Wins an international competition for the decoration of the Aswan Dam, 1969
Elected honorary member of European Academy of Arts, Sciences and Humanities, Paris, 1976
Elected to full membership in European Academy of Arts, Sciences and Humanities, 1989
Elected active member to the New York Academy of Sciences, 1986
Elected a foreign member of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Stockholm, Sweden, 1986
Member, international Society for Human Rights, Inc.

Guest Professor in art and sciences, New York University, New York, Harvard University, Cambridge, Yale University, New Haven, University of California at Berkeley, Columbia University, New York, American Association for the advancement of Slavic Studies, Humanist in residence, University of Oregon, Eugene 1983

Illustrations to Short Works of Dante (Moscow: Nauka, 1968)
Illustrations to Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment (Moscow: Nauka, 1970)
On Synthesis in Art, published 1982
Govorit Neizvestny (Neizvestny Speaks), collection of essays in Russian, published 1984
Body: Man and Visual Sign and Art and Society, published 1987
Space, Time, and Synthesis in Art: Essays on Art, Literature and Philosophy, published 1990
Man's Fate etchings, Artist Fate, published 1992