Sergey Bukovsky was born in 1960 in Bashkiria, the autonomous republic of the former Soviet Union. His father, Anatoly Bukovsky, was a film director, and his mother, Nina Antonova, was an actress. Since his childhood, he has lived in Kyiv.
Growing up, Bukovsky was surrounded by the film industry. His parents' friends would often gather at their one-room flat to celebrate various milestones in their careers. He has fond memories of his father shouting "Action!" on set and of the sugary-sweet smell of makeup.
Bukovsky studied directing at the Film Department of the Karpenko-Karyi Kyiv State Institute of Theatrical Arts. After serving in the Soviet Army, he worked at a Ukrainian Documentary Film Studio for over a decade.
In the first years of perestroika, Bukovsky made a critically acclaimed 20-minute black-and-white film called "Tomorrow is a Holiday". Throughout his 35-year career, he has made approximately 30 films, including "Roof", "Dislocation", "The Hyphen", "To Berlin!", "Vilen Kalyuta. Real Light", "Terra Vermelha. Red Land", and the 9-part documentary series "War. The Ukrainian Account", which won the National Taras Shevchenko Prize of Ukraine in 2004.
The documentary series "War. The Ukrainian Account" is significant because it presents Ukraine's history of World War II in an accurate and unbiased manner. It is a genuine documentary epic that tells the story of millions of human lives lost in the war, and the betrayal of a nation by its authorities.
Bukovsky has also taught documentary directing at the Karpenko-Karyi Kyiv State Institute of Theatrical Arts and established The Sergey Bukovsky Film Program as a postgraduate program for young filmmakers in 2014.
