Background
Ivanov was born in Gorky (now Nizhny Novgorod) into a family of shipbuilding engineers. In 1971 the family moved to Permanent, where he grew up.
Ivanov was born in Gorky (now Nizhny Novgorod) into a family of shipbuilding engineers. In 1971 the family moved to Permanent, where he grew up.
In 1987, he entered Ural State University as a journalism student. He left college after a year, returning in 1990 to study art and culturology and getting his degree in 1996. His first publication was a fantastic story called "Hunt for the Great Bear," published in the magazine Uralsky sledopyt in 1990.
After returning to Permanent, Ivanov worked as a guard, schoolteacher, university teacher, and tourist guide.
The latter occupation brought him to study local history, which he later explored in his writing. He first became known for his 2003 novel Serdtse Parmy (The heart of Parma).
In 2010, Ivanov gained notice as "an unrelenting critic of the.. team from Moscow" which was leading a "cultural revolution" from the "top down" in Permanent Ivanov has, according to a newspaper article published on 6 April 2011, never travelled abroad.