Sergey Yurievich Ignatyev

In 2011, Ignatyev became a coordinator of the art-project "Arts and Human Rights" under the aegis of the Association for Human Rights in Central Asia. Independent artists from Central Asia take part in the project, although their names are not disclosed for security reasons. His idea is to unite independent artists living in the countries of Central Asia and émigré artists for promotion of their creative works, for liaising them with western galleries, and for publishing of catalogs among others.

In 2008, Sergey Ignatyev joined the Association for Human Rights in Central Asia. In 2011, he joined the Board of Founders of the Association, and is the official representative of the Association in the USA and Coordinator of the project "Arts and Human Rights".

From 2003 to 2008, Ignatyev did not paint for objective reasons. Afterwards, he restored cooperation with art galleries and designer companies, particularly with Deco Productions, Barton G, and Me Productions among others.

In 1988, Sergey Ignatyev immigrated to the USA. Before his departure, however, Sergey Ignatyev had to burn some 30 works. This was a common practice among artists fleeing Soviet Uzbekistan. He settled in Miami, Florida and received his US citizenship in 1998. Since his USSR citizenship was revoked after, his attempts to rescue his works from the country were not successful.

In autumn of 1987, Ignatyev participated in the National Exhibition of Young Artists in Tashkent. The exhibition took place in the Central Exhibition Hall, where his triptych "Prisoner", "Pomegranate", and "Iron and Milk" paintings were exhibited. This exhibition was presented to the public as the first exhibition of young artists without censorship during perestroika. Upon the evaluation of the Ministry of Culture of Uzbekistan, these works were recognized as heavily political. As a consequence, Sergey Ignatyev was blacklisted by KGB.

In 1986, Sergey Ignatyev joined the Uzbekistan Artists' Union (UAU). The same year, he started working at the art enterprise Rassom (Artist), through which Uzbek artists could receive government orders. The next year, however, he was dismissed from Rassom, which caused him an automatic expulsion from the Artists' Union as well. The chairman of Rassom, Kutlug Bashirov, provides the official reason for his dismissal, stating that Ignatyev had: "...unauthorized use of production resources towards personal goals". According to Ignatyev, however, it was his participation in an exhibition in the summer of 1987 that he was expelled. He argues that his exhibition was taken place on the park in front of the National Security Service in Tashkent, which was not far from Lenin Square underground station where the group of young artists had set up an exhibition of their own works. During those times, all art exhibitions should have been set up in the Central Exhibition Hall of the Arts Academy of Uzbekistan, Ilkhom Theatre. However, Ignatyev's group organized their own exhibition without the authorization of the committee and the Uzbekistan Artists' Union, the institutions who determine which paintings could be exhibited for public view.

While teaching in 1985, Ignatyev initiated an exhibition in Karl Marx Street or Tashkent Broadway, together with Sergey Vasilyev, Igor Reznikov, and Vladimir Zherebtsov. They exhibited their works in front of the Maksim Gorky Theatre, and also painted portraits for passers-by. Within a month, dozens of other artists joined and worked alongside them. As a result, the artists earned enough money to refurbish their own studio located in the former boiler room of a residential apartment bloc premise. They worked from there up until 1991. On the other hand, the street, where the open air exhibition was first launched, is now known as "Artists' Lane". Even today, one can buy paintings and souvenirs from free artists on the street.

Sergey Yurievich Ignatyev (born 14 June 1958) is an Uzbek artist and human rights defender, living in the United States. He is an official representative of the Association for Human Rights in Central Asia in the US.

Sergey Ignatyev was born on 14 June 1958 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. His mother, Irina Ignatyeva, was an art critic who worked as an art history teacher in the Tashkent Theatre and Arts Institute. On the other hand, his father, Yuriy Stepchuk was a Soviet cinema actor and theatre stage director. Ignatyev studied at the National College of Arts from 1973 to 1977. Afterwards, he transferred at the Tashkent Theatre and Arts Institute (TTAI) for six years. Two years after graduating, he taught graphic arts at his alma mater until 1988.