Profile: Mariya Yugina

Mariya Yugina

Born in 1988 in Leningrad (later Sankt Petersburg), the cultural Russian capital, Mariya Yugina developed her sense for harmony and aesthetics through a multilateral instruction.

A silver medal winner at the under 18 girls Russian chess championship, at the present date holder of the chess FIDE master and of the Capoeira green belt, Mariya graduated from the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration

Mariya's artistic talent manifested itself during early childhood and teenage through a series of prizes in painting and graphics contests, without having srudied with painting masters.

Starting with the first year as a student, she systematically studied painting with Vladimir Bazhenov, member of the Russian Artists Union, being in contact with other renown painters from Sankt Petersburg. One of them, Vladimir Kojhevnikov, recently awarded with the Merited European Artist title. Mariya soon became a member of the Sankt Petersburg Painters' Union and over the past years her paintings were successful in several art galeries from her native city.

Mariya's style is multi-faceted, being influenced by the wide range of paintings displayed at the Hermitage, a museum which he regularly visited over the years.

At the present time, Mariya splits her time between chess and painting.

Married in 2017 with the Romanian chess grandmaster Mihail Marin, multiple national champion and bronze Olympic medallist, she frequently travels with her husband to tournaments all over Europe.

Mariya had two personal art exhibitions in Bucharest (at the Sigma Gallery in 2018 and Elite Prof Art in 2019).