Bessonov Nicolay Vladislavovich was born in Moscow on 14.1.1962.

He finished Moscow Academy of Industrial and Applied Art in specialization of “artistic manufacture of metal” back in 1984. Worked in Nuclear Energy Institute. Since 1988 he works as free-lance painter. Created more than 100 canvases of historical and ethnographic character. Has been working as illustrator and designer. Had tried to work as theatrical artist. Had been consulting TV-programs. Published a few articles in magazines and the collection of Russian Academy of Sciences. Wrote a some books in the genre of publicity and popular scientific literature. Up to the very moment are published “Romany History - a New Approach” and “Gypsies and media”. Beside the ethnography, Bessonov is interested in the filed of witch-trials in Western Europe and the history of slavery in the New World. In 2002 the book "Witch Trials - an illustrated History" was published by "Ripol-classic".

Personal exhibitions took place in Russian embassy in Madrid, in the Duma of Russian Federation and in Czech cultural centre.

During the last decade Bessonov's paintings were being exhibited in the Central Artistic Gallery in Moscow (the gallery “Акция/Action”).

Personal artistic studio is placed in Bykovo near Moscow.

Bessonov is married with two daughters. The older daughter is a player in Gypsy theatre “Romen”.

e-mail: bessonov-art@narod.ru