Georgy Ivanov, one of the most famous poets of the Russian emigration in the early 20th century, was born on November 10, 1894, into the family of a hereditary nobleman and hero of the Russo-Turkish War, artillery captain Vladimir Ivanovich Ivanov. His father ended his service early, retiring in 1902 with the rank of lieutenant colonel, and devoted himself to raising his son. Georgy's mother, Vera Mikhailovna Ivanova (née Brenstein), also came from a noble family, but of German descent.

The future poet's childhood was spent in the family estate in the Kovno province, after which he entered the Yaroslavl Cadet Corps and was later transferred to the 2nd Cadet Corps in St. Petersburg. However, Ivanov did not aspire to become an officer, as he had already begun writing poetry and was fascinated by high society. His first publications soon appeared in newspapers, and the doors of the capital's bohemia opened before him. Ivanov was friends with Chulkov and Gorodetsky, often found himself in the company of Blok and Severianin, but he especially loved the poems of Nikolai Gumilev, who, however, avoided noisy gatherings.

In 1911, Ivanov's career rapidly developed: he collaborated with Severianin and headed the department of the weekly "Gaudeamus," his poems were published on the front pages of newspapers. That same year, his first collection of poems was released, and he met Gumilev, Akhmatova, Gippius, Mandelstam, and Klyuev. The young poet could only dream of such success when his poems were published everywhere.

With the onset of World War I, Ivanov replaced Gumilev at the newspaper "Apolon" and actively discussed war poetry, but soon he was forced to leave his homeland, unwilling to reconcile with the Soviet regime. In emigration, he continued to work and published several books. His second wife, Vera Odoevtseva, joined him a year later. Georgy Ivanov passed away on August 26, 1958, and was later reburied at the cemetery of Saint-Genèvieve-des-Bois, having lived only 64 years.