Background
Ukhnalev was born in Leningrad in 1931, during the soviet famine of 1932-1933.
Ukhnalev was born in Leningrad in 1931, during the soviet famine of 1932-1933.
From 1944–1948 Ukhnalev studied at the secondary I. Repin Art College at the Saint St. Petersburg State Academy Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture.
Dekulakization was pursued during this period, which was meant to highlight the economic disparity present in Russia prior to the political ascent of the Bolsheviks. Thegovernment imposed collectivization of agricultural activity, such as wheat, grain and livestock production, under the theory that kulaks ("rich" peasants) were the main culprits. The consequences of collectivization were drasticapproximately 5.5.-6.5. millions died.
Yevgeny"s father was Ilya Akimovich Ykhnalev, an inventor, metal worker and political commentator at the time.
Ukhnalev’s radical artistic endeavors, as well as social and political criticism evident on his canvases, ensured that after graduation in 1948, he was arrested and sentenced to 25 years imprisonment, following Article 58 of the Russian SFSR Penal Code. Ukhnalev was sent to a Gulag in Vorkuta.
Ukhnalev was released after six years at the labor camp in 1954. He returned to Leningrad.
Ukhnalev was employed as an architect for the design of institutes.
From 1967–1975 Ukhnalev worked as chief architect at the State Hermitage Museum. In 1997, Ukhnalev was given the title of People"s Artist of the Russian Federation. His official inauguration into the Russian Union of Artists signified his ultimate acceptance as an artist and a citizen.
Dostoevsky Museum, Leningrad (1988)
Solo exhibitions at galleries and exhibition halls, San Francisco, California, United States of America (1993)
Cultural Center of Salzburg, Austria (1995)
Anna Akhmatova Museum, Saint St. Petersburg, Russia (1997)
State Hermitage Museum, Saint St. Petersburg, Russia (2001)
Erarta Museum and Galleries of Contemporary Art, Saint St. Petersburg, Russia (2011)
State Hermitage Museum, Saint St. Petersburg, Russia;
Anna Akhmatova Museum, Saint St. Petersburg, Russia;
Erarta Museum and Galleries of Contemporary Art, Saint St. Petersburg, Russia;
Kemerovo Regional Museum of Fine Arts, Kemerovo, Russia.
Ukhnalev’s works can be found in private collections in Russia, Finland, Sweden, Germany and the United States of America.
Ukhanlev’s become a member of the President"s Advisory Council for cultural and artistic pursuits.