Boris Petrovich Shergin, a Russian and Soviet writer, folklorist, publicist, and artist, is known for his stories about the life of the Pomors.

Boris Viktorovich was born on July 6 (28), 1893, into the family of a hereditary sailor from the peasant class of Vychegda and a native of Arkhangelsk. His father, also a hereditary sailor and shipbuilder, was, according to Shergin's own account, a peasant from the Vychegda River who became a sailor from childhood and rose to the rank of 'state feeder.'

Shergin bequeathed to his descendants the memory of the cold northern sea, Arkhangelsk rains, and bright mists, so that the epic words would sound forever. His work can be considered a living touch to the Russian northern word.

He inherited the talent of storytelling and love for art from his father, while his mother introduced him to the poetry of the ancient Pomors. From childhood, Shergin absorbed the culture of the Russian North, recording folk tales and sketching ornaments. After graduating from the Stroganov Central Art and Industry School, he worked as a restoration artist, engaged in artistic crafts, including the famous Kholmogory bone carving, and became passionate about folklore and archeography, collecting ancient manuscripts and recording folk songs and tales.

His first book, 'At the Arkhangelsk City, at the Ship's Harbor,' is based on recordings of 'six Arkhangelsk antiquities with notation of melodies sung by his mother.' All his works are characterized by a unique narrative style and the Pomor dialect, making them suitable for reading aloud. Shergin himself often recited his works in a characteristic northern manner. This Pomor dialect can be heard in the famous cartoons based on the tales of Shergin and Stepan Pisakhov: 'The Magic Ring,' 'Laughter and Grief by the White Sea,' 'Rain.'

The artistic legacy of B. V. Shergin is distributed among state museums and research centers, such as the Manuscript Department of the Institute of Russian Literature (Pushkin House), the Arkhangelsk Literary Museum, the State Literary Museum, the State Museum Association 'Artistic Culture of the Russian North,' as well as several private collections. Among his works are drawings, wall sheets, icons, and painted panels.

In 2019, the only known face manuscript of Boris Shergin, 'The Dream of the Mother of God,' was discovered, containing 11 miniatures created presumably between 1914 and 1928.