Ushanoff, V. V. (Vasilly Vasillevich)

Dr. V.V. Ushanoff of Laguna Beach, Calif. emigrated to the U.S. from Russia. Following his retirement as a dentist in Calif., he began a concentrated study of Russian Alaska. His work includes a pictorial history in oil paintings, articles for publication, manuscript books and translation of Russian works into English.

Vasiliy Vasil'yevich Ushanoff was born Feb. 7, 1904, in Manchuria, China. He emigrated to California from Russia in the 1920's, and eventually graduated from dental school. Following his retirement from dentistry, in Laguna Beach, California, he began a concentrated study of Russian Alaska and, at age 72, began to paint. The result of his effort includes a manuscript, oil paintings, published articles and miscellaneous information he gathered during his research. Dr. Ushanoff died Jan. 12, 1989, in California.

Vasiliy Vasil'yevich Ushanoff was born Feb. 7, 1904, in Manchuria, China where his father was station master on the Eastern Chinese railroad. Vasiliy [other spellings found: Vaselei, Vasily, Vasilly, Basil] graduated from a Russian high school in Harbin, boarded a Japanese ship, and landed in Seattle in 1922. He earned his way as a lumberjack until he entered dental school at the University of California, San Francisco. After graduation he practiced dentistry for over 30 years in Hollywood. Following his retirement he began a concentrated study of Russian Alaska. He began to paint ten years into retiremtn and completed 130 paintings before his death in 1989. His paintings portray significant events in the history of Russian America. He also produced articles for publication, manuscript books and English translation of Russian works.