Pavlenko graduated in Painting from St. Petersburg Academy of Fine Arts in 1988. He studied under Boris Ugarov, President of the Academy of Fine Arts of the USSR, and was nominated for the Gold Medal.
In 1989, Sergei Pavlenko moved to the West, received immediate recognition, and began to paint and exhibit his work in London and the USA. Since then he has been living and working in London and is now a British citizen. Now an established portrait painter, both in Europe and the United States, Sergei Pavlenko’s work is in constant demand.
His portrait of The Queen, completed in 2000, was reportedly the Queen's favorite portrait since her coronation. It was personally unveiled by the queen. The painting received impressive coverage by the world press and television and a postage stamp was subsequently made in the UK.
In 2004, Sergei Pavlenko had a one-man exhibition in London in the Russian Embassy and in Moscow in the British Embassy, with over a thousand guests attending the Private View. Four TV channels covered the event and numerous articles and reviews on the subject appeared in newspapers and magazines.
In Russia, Sergei Pavlenko’s name has been added to the list of highly distinguished emigrants and is next to the ballet dancer Anna Pavlova. Sergei Pavlenko was awarded a commission to paint a large-scale painting of The Queen meeting with Princes William and Harry at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.
