Evgeny Mikhailovich Galey (1927-1994) was a Soviet and Russian artist, illustrator, and film production designer. He was born in Lgov, Kursk Oblast.
Before turning to art, Galey studied at the Moscow Aviation Engine-Building Technical School from 1943 to 1947 and worked as a design technician. In 1950, he entered the Art Faculty of VGIK (the All-Union State Institute of Cinematography), where he studied until 1955. His education at VGIK shaped his distinctive visual style, marked by precise composition and a strong sense of movement—qualities that later defined both his film work and book illustrations.
After graduation, Galey collaborated on a number of feature and animated films as a production designer. At the same time, he became known as an accomplished book illustrator, creating imaginative and expressive images for children’s literature. His work as a landscape painter also earned recognition, and his pieces were exhibited internationally.
Today, Galey is remembered as one of the many gifted artists who helped define the visual language of Soviet animation and children’s illustration in the mid-20th century.
Original title: Приключения Чиполлино Gianni Rodari — The Adventures of Cipollino (illustrated by Yevgeny Galey, Detgiz, 1960) was the first of Rodari’s books to be published in a foreign language and quickly became one of the most beloved stories among children in the Soviet Union. Translated under the supervision of […]
