George Virine

George Virine (1920–2017) was a Russian-Australian sculptor. He taught art and exhibited his work in France and Australia. He worked in the classic realism style.

Early life George Michael Virine was born Yuri Millievich Ezersky on March 15, 1920 in Moscow, Russia. His father Millievich Ezersky was an academic and writer and his mother Zinaida worked in the costume production unit of the Bolshoi Ballet. The young Ezersky studied classical art and was conscripted into the Red Army in 1939. After training in Mongolia, his unit was sent to Smolensk and they were bombed during the battle of Smolensk. Again Ezersky escaped and travelled west. Following the war, he continued working as a sculptor of souvenir goods in Luxembourg, despite lacking identity papers. He changed his name to Juri Wiardo. After Soviet secret police were detected in Luxembourg, he moved to Paris, France where he sculpted artwork for movie theatres. He changed his name to George Virine and studied in Paris and his works showed at the Salon de Vedettes in 1950. His work was admired by Pablo Picasso but Virine objected to Picasso's communist sympathies. including Rhyl Hinwood and Philip Piperides,

Significant work Virine's work is held in many collections.

Six foot bust of Bert Hinkler, in Bundaberg, Queensland, 1959 3 foot medallion of King George VI, 1955 Statue of St Vladimir, The University of Queensland, 1993 Bust of James Cook, James Cook University Bust of Sir Winston Churchill, 1966

Personal life Virine married Irina Pavlenko in St Etienne, France. They had three children. He died on 1 June 2017 and was survived by his daughters Galina and Tatiana. hold selected papers from George Virine's private collection. His sculptures are a part of a number of university collections.