Igor Ignatiev was born in November 1937 in Kremenchug, Ukraine. During World War II he lost both of his parents and he was raised in a children's home. He started drawing in his early teens and took particular interest in painting still lifes. During Soviet occupation, Igor did not paint; something prevented him from bringing his visions forth on canvas. "We were not free and we did not feel liberated at that time," Igor states. Fortunately he was able to travel within the U.S.S.R. and today he has a "second wind and a strong desire to work."