Legendary Soviet Pop Artist Erik Bulatov Passes Away at 92

Renowned Soviet and Russian artist Erik Bulatov passed away in Paris at the age of 92, according to reports from the media on Sunday.

Evolving as a prominent figure of the Soviet pop art movement in the 1970s, Bulatov combined figurative imagery with text and slogans to critique state propaganda.

In 2025, The Art Newspaper Russia ranked Bulatov first on its list assessing the market value of artworks sold by living Russian artists. One of his significant works, the 1975 painting «Glory to the CPSU [Communist Party],» fetched $2.1 million at a London auction in 2008.

Born on September 5, 1933, in Sverdlovsk (currently known as Yekaterinburg), Bulatov received his training at the Surikov Art Institute in Moscow, initially launching his career by illustrating children’s literature.

He later established the Sots Art movement, a postmodernist style that fused text with imagery, in collaboration with the Moscow Conceptualists, a group delving into conceptual and philosophical aspects of art.

Bulatov lived in New York beginning in 1989 before permanently moving to Paris in 1992. He often engaged in projects in Russia, including a significant mural completed in 2020 and a retrospective exhibition celebrating his 90th birthday in the Nizhny Novgorod region.

While the official cause of Bulatov’s passing has not been specified, the state-run TASS news agency reported, citing a family friend, that he died in a Paris hospital following treatment for a lung ailment.

A memorial service honoring Bulatov is set to take place in Paris, and he will be laid to rest in Moscow, as noted by the family friend.

He is survived by his wife, Natalia Bulatova.