Nicolai Ryabokon

Nicolai Ryabokon
(Ukrainian Painter and Graphic Artist)

Nicolai Ryabokon is a Ukrainian painter and graphic artist whose work is distinguished by emotional depth, lyrical softness, and a reverent sensitivity toward the surrounding world. Rooted in realism, his paintings convey not only visual truth but also the national character and atmosphere of Ukrainian nature.

Born on February 1, 1943, Ryabokon showed remarkable artistic talent from early childhood. Drawing quickly became his inner calling and lifelong purpose. He began his studies at a cultural center art studio, continued at the Kryvyi Rih Evening Art School, and later graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts at the Krupskaya Moscow University of People’s Arts, receiving the title of Master of Folk Art.
Since the early 1970s, he has played an active role in the artistic life of Kryvyi Rih. His works have been presented at city, regional, and national exhibitions. For many years, he worked as a designer and member of the artistic council at the Kryvyi Rih Art and Design Workshop, contributing to the city’s visual identity.

His first solo exhibition took place in 1987, followed by a major exhibition at the Kryvyi Rih Historical Museum in 1995. Over his career, he has created...

Nicolai Ryabokon began his artistic education at a fine art studio at the Palace of Culture, where he acquired his first academic foundations and received strong mentorship from his teachers.

He later graduated from the Kryvyi Rih Evening Art School, where he studied drawing, painting, and composition in depth.

He completed his higher art education at the Faculty of Fine Arts of the M. K. Krupskaya Moscow University of People’s Arts. The institution provided him with solid professional training and awarded him the title of Master of Folk Art.

This academic background became the foundation of his creative path, combining classical training with the development of his own expressive and distinctive style.

Since 1970 – Participant in city, regional, and national exhibitions
1983 – Republican Exhibition (with the painting “Metrobud”)
1983 – Regional Art Exhibition “Our Motherland”
1984 – Exhibition dedicated to the liberation of Kryvyi Rih
1987 – First Solo Exhibition (Union of Artists Studio)
1991–2000 – Exhibition cycle “Old Corners of the City”
1995 – Solo Exhibition, Kryvyi Rih Historical Museum
2005 – Republican Exhibition, Kyiv
2005 – Solo Exhibition of Painting and Graphic Art dedicated to Independence Day
2007 – Solo Exhibition “Crimean Landscapes”, Kryvyi Rih Exhibition Hall
2008 – Jubilee Solo Exhibition (65th Anniversary), Kryvyi Rih
2011 – Exhibition “Jewish Courtyards”
2013 – Jubilee Exhibition (70th Anniversary)
2013 – Exhibition from the cycle “The Artist’s New Painting”
2014 – Solo Exhibition “Old City”, City Exhibition Hall
2014 (January 17) – Exhibition “Old City” (within the cycle “The Artist’s New Painting”), City Exhibition Hall
2016 – Painting Exhibition “Kryvyi Rih at the Beginning of the 20th Century”, City Exhibition Hall
2018 – Exhibition at the Dnipro Art Museum
2018 – Retrospective Exhibition “Greetings from Kryvyi Rih”, Cultural Alternative Gallery (42 paintings; the project was developed over approximatel...