Born in 1951 in Chernovtsy, Ukraine. Graduated from the Leningrad State Cherkasov Institute of Theatre, Music and Cinema in 1975, specialising in set design. From 1976, worked as a set designer in theatres throughout Russia including the State Academic Kirov Theatre of Opera and Ballet, the Bolshoi Theatre and the Leningrad Maly Drama Theatre. From 1980 – 1991 was principal designer at the Leningrad State Academic Maly Theatre of Opera and Ballet. From 1981 – 1983 he taught at the Faculty of Musical Theatre Directing of the Leningrad State Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatoire. Has lived and worked in the USA since 1992, though he maintains links with Russian theatres.
Semyon Pastukh has worked on over two hundred productions including the ballets Swan Lake and Harlequinade at the Kirov Theatre, Khrennikovґs Hussar Ballad and Shostakovichґs The Bolt at the Bolshoi Theatre, Tchaikovskyґs Eugene Onegin, The Queen of Spades and Iolanta and Musorgskyґs Boris Godunov and Khovanshchina. Semyon Pastukhґs set designs for Slonimskyґs Mary Stuart at the Leningrad Maly Theatre of Opera and Ballet received the State Prize of Russia in 1983. Semyon Pastukh has designed for the National Opera of Bulgaria in Sofia (La Sylphide, Chopiniana, Paquita, Swan Lake, The Nutcracker and The Sleeping Beauty) and for the Seoul Universal Ballet Company (South Korea). Semyon Pastukh has frequently worked with theatres in New York, Indianapolis, Chicago and Tokyo. Works include productions of Ibsenґs The Master Builder at the St Petersburg Theatre on Liteiny, Stravinskyґs The Firebird for the Ballet Internationale (Indianapolis, USA) and The Snow Maiden for Moscowґs New Opera.
Semyon Pastukhґs most recent works at the Mariinsky Theatre include Semyon Kotko (1999) and Otello (2001). He was awarded the Golden Sofit, St Petersburgґs most prestigious theatre prize, and Russiaґs Golden Mask theatre prize for Semyon Kotko (2000).