Graduated from the Leningrad Choreographic Institute (now Vaganova Ballet Academy), class of Nikolai Zubkovsky and Vladimir Fidler. In 1966 he joined the Kirov (Mariinsky) Theatre where he appeared as Albrecht, Nutcracker, Siegfried, Désiré and Blue Bird, Basilio, Quasimodo (Notre Dame de Paris by Roland Petit), Golden Idol (La Bayadère), the Prince (Cinderella by Konstantin Sergeev) and many others. He was the first to perform the role of Adam (The Creation