Yuri Pavlovich Annenkov lived a long life, lasting 85 years, filled with creativity and beloved work, but it cannot be called simple and easy. He was born in 1889 in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, where his father, a member of the revolutionary organization "People's Will," was exiled for participating in the political assassination of Alexander II. Four years later, the family returned to St. Petersburg, where the boy grew up surrounded by many creative people and became interested in drawing at an early age.

Initially, Annenkov worked on caricatures for an illegal student magazine, for which he was expelled from gymnasium at the age of 17. He never received a formal artistic education, and his professional skills were formed from various sources. Yuri gathered knowledge bit by bit, attending various studios and schools: the studio of Savely Moiseevich Zeydenberg, the Technical Drawing School of Baron Alexander Ludwigovich Stieglitz in Russia, and courses with Maurice Denis and Felix Vallotton in France. After these courses, his paintings "Noon," "Adam and Eve," and "Spring Shadows" emerged.

In 1912, he participated in an expedition to Brittany as a freelance employee of a scientific biological station, creating detailed drawings of marine flora and fauna. This experience helped him refine his drawing technique and develop observation skills, which became the foundation of his unique graphic mastery, earning him fame as a portraitist, book illustrator, and magazine graphic artist.

Yuri Pavlovich was active and curious, participating in the innovative movements of the 20th century. Many cultural figures of that time are known to us thanks to his portraits, which were called "face formulas." Images of political leaders and officials were also very characteristic. The pinnacle of his Soviet creative period is considered to be the cycle of illustrations for Blok's poem "The Twelve."

His work in theater was also notable; he was the first to use moving scenery and effects of changing lighting.

In 1924, Annenkov went to Venice for an exhibition and decided not to return to Russia. This decision was not driven by the danger of living in his homeland or fear for his life, but by a conscious choice in favor of active and comfortable creativity, a desire to be at the center of events. Yuri Pavlovich was a citizen of the world, for whom art was paramount. Together with his wife Elena Mikhailovna Galperina, a ballerina and actress, he settled in Paris, where he engaged in theater, cinema, graphics, literary creativity, and worked as a director on television.

In July 1974, Yuri Pavlovich Annenkov passed away and was buried in Paris.