Born in Altai, one of Russia's most remote and off-the-beaten-track-towns, Viktor Shvaiko grew up surrounded by the beauty of the wilderness. His natural inclination for fine arts and his strong urge to share his vision of nature drove him to find a way into the Novoaltaisk Artist School, one of the two best schools for arts in theformer Soviet Union.Four years of strenuous studies enabled Viktor, a very diligent student, to acquire the skills of a true artist.

Viktor credits his teacher, Ilbek Khairoullinov, for a true fin arts education. A strict regimen of drawing, an intricate technique of using colors, and the influence of the 19th century Russian artist Karl Brynllow brought Viktor Shvaiko to a traditional academic style of painting. After having attained technical excellence in the manner of these traditional influences, the artists now possessed the tools with which to express his feelings to the world. At this point, Viktor's main focus became the beautiful Altai landscapes.

The Shvaiko family then moved to Transkarpathia, the western mountainous portion of the Ukraine. There Viktor became enchanted with the picturesque and breathtakingly beautiful countryside. He continued to paint and was invited to show in two one-person expositions in Moukachevo in 1990 and a group exhibition in Hungary in 1991.

Viktor Shvaiko chafed under the stifling effect that the lingering Russian bureaucracy had on the careers of young Russian artists. Unable to get a visa to a Western country, Viktor was permitted to travel to Yugoslavia. In the confusion of the civil war, he fled to Italy with his paintings strapped to his back, often encountering gunfire from roving bands of Russian militia.

Having arrived in Italy virtually penniless, Viktor Shvaiko survived by selling his paintings and works of art on the streets of Rome. He managed to build a following for himself and save some money. He eventually returned to a now more liberalized Russia, and was able to obtain passage to America.

Arriving in New York with little money and less English, Viktor was again able to survive by selling his art work. It was here that he developed his penchant for painting the little cafes and other intimate places that we see in his work today, and that have become his artist trademark. Viktor Shvaiko's enticing mix of beauty and mystery has drawn the interest and admiration of collectors from around the world.