Sergey Poyarkov

Sergey Volodymyrovych Poyarkov (; born 18 October 1965) is a Ukrainian illustrator who rose to prominence after winning the 1991 Writers and Illustrators of the Future Gold Award. Known for blending artistic expression with philosophical insight, Poyarkov celebrates his cultural heritage while embracing global influences, as reflected in his book ''Balance of Contradictions''.

Early life and education

Sergey Volodymyrovych Poyarkov was born on 18 October 1965 in Oster, Chernihiv Oblast. He began his artistic education at the Department of Artistic Design at the , graduating in 1985. He then pursued further studies, earning a degree from the Ivan Fedorov Ukrainian Polygraph Institute Faculty of Book Art in 1990, and later graduated from the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine Faculty of Graphics in 1995.

Career

From 1989 to 1991, Poyarkov worked in the press, contributing to magazines like ''Ogonek'' and ''Yunost'', and newspapers such as ''Sobesednik'' and ''Komsomolskoye Znamya''. He also illustrated books for publishing houses in Kyiv and began gaining international recognition with publications in Czechoslovakia, Sweden, and Bulgaria. In 1990, he won the prestigious main prize at the International L. Ron Hubbard Illustrator's Competition in Los Angeles. Between 1991 and 1992, he worked as a book illustrator in the United States, where he also claimed the Grand Prix at the "992 Fandom Directory" contest. Simultaneously, he worked in Kyiv in advertising, book illustration, and design.

Throughout the 1990s, Poyarkov participated in numerous prestigious exhibitions worldwide. In 1992, he showcased his work at the ''53rd World Con Art Show'' in Glasgow. In 1993 and 1994, he won second place at the ''54th World Con Art Show'' in Los Angeles and received an award for the best set of works. His exhibitions continued across global venues, including ''World Con'' events in San Antonio (1997) and Baltimore (1998), as well as ''Dragon Con'' in Atlanta, where he received the "Best in Show" award. Other notable exhibitions included group shows in Germany and personal exhibitions in Kyiv and New York. His works were also acquired by the Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University, further cementing his international acclaim. Additionally, his artwork was shown in France and Germany.

Poyarkov has served as a judge for the ''Illustrators of the Future'' competition since 2000. In 2000, Poyarkov held personal exhibitions at the National Art Museum of Ukraine, the Odesa Museum of Western and Eastern Art, and the "Horod N" gallery in Kyiv, while also participating in the ''MegaCon 2000'' exhibition in Orlando. In 2001, he was invited as the guest of honor at '' DemiCon 12'' in Des Moines, and exhibited at the ''60th World Con Art Show'' in Philadelphia. He also held a personal exhibition at the Kyiv Museum of Russian Art and participated in ''ArtExpo'' in New York. In 2002, Poyarkov's work was displayed in the Moscow Museum of Modern Art, and was nominated for the prestigious Locus Award. During the Orange Revolution in 2004, he gained public attention for his outspoken stance and satirical cartoons, which led to his participation in political talk shows.

Poyarkov has occasionally participated in various social gatherings and television shows. He was one of the key organizers of Automaidan and played a significant role during the Euromaidan protests, leading a grassroots movement that used motorcades to support the protests and apply pressure on the government. In 2014, he ran for parliament as an independent candidate but was unsuccessful. The following year, he attempted to secure a seat on the Khmelnytskyi Oblast Council, though that effort also did not result in election. Poyarkov later claimed that alongside the heroes who sacrificed their lives for Ukraine, there was also "a group of snat and nasty rats" within the Maidan movement. He accused several figures involved in the movement of exploiting patriotism for personal gain, alleging that some had negotiated with President Viktor Yanukovych for positions and facilitated corruption. He specifically criticized then-prime minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk for perpetuating a corrupt system.

From 2016 to 2017, Poyarkov was one of the hosts of the programme ''Subjective Results'' on the NewsOne channel. In 2017, he also served as an assistant consultant to Dmytro Yarosh, a People's Deputy of Ukraine (MP) and leader of the Right Sector, and became a frequent guest on various Ukrainian television news programmes. From 2018 to 2020, Poyarkov hosted and authored ''Poyarkov NEWS'' on the TV channel Priamyi, but the programme was eventually shut down following an investigation by the National Council for Television and Radio Broadcasting into the presenter's conduct. As of 2024, Poyarkov runs a blog on YouTube.

Political career

Over the years, he worked as an assistant to various members of the Verkhovna Rada across multiple convocations: during the , he assisted Ihor Hryniv of the Our Ukraine Bloc; in the V convocation, he worked with Serhii Osika from the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc; and again in the VI convocation with Hryniv, now also with the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc. In the VII convocation, he served as assistant to non-factional deputy Oles Donii; in the VIII, to Dmytro Yarosh, also non-factional; and in the IX convocation, he worked with Andriy Parubiy of European Solidarity.

Controversies

Prioritising sales over parliamentary duties

Poyarkov's head to the Verkhovna Rada was accused by the media of selling his sculptures and paintings rather than serving as the MP's aide. Data indicates that over a hundred officials and MPs, including Vitali Klitschko

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