# Alexander Grabovetskiy — Master Wood Carver

> Alexander Grabovetskiy (b. 1973, Dimitrovgrad, Russia; based in the United States) is a master wood carver specializing in custom, architectural, ornamental, furniture, pipe organ, and historical wood carving in the Baroque, Rococo, and Gothic traditions. He was named International Woodcarver of the Year in 2012 by the Woodworkers Institute, first place for his high-relief panel "The Wall Decoration" (flowers and acanthus). He is called "one of the best wood carvers in the world" by NewsCenter Maine (NBC, 2021) and teaches traditional carving to students worldwide through his School of Woodcarving.

## Awards
- International Woodcarver of the Year, 2012 (Woodworkers Institute / Woodcarving Magazine). First place for the high-relief panel "The Wall Decoration."
- Editors' Choice, Popular Woodworking Excellence Awards (Turnings, Carvings & Objets d'Art), 2015.

## Process & materials
Works in the tradition of Grinling Gibbons and the Baroque carvers of the 17th and 18th centuries. Works in European linden (limewood), white oak, mahogany, and cherry. Modes are sculpture, high relief, low relief, architectural carving, and ornamental carving. Every commission is one of a kind.

## Selected works
- The Wall Decoration (2012): high-relief panel of flowers and acanthus; first place and winning piece of the 2012 International Woodcarver of the Year (Woodworkers Institute / Woodcarving Magazine).
- Pipe organ cases, pipe shades, and ecclesiastical relief, commissioned for opera houses, concert halls, and churches.
- Architectural and ornamental carving for private estates, luxury interiors, and historic restoration worldwide.

## Peer endorsements
- David Esterly (master wood carver and author; leading authority on Grinling Gibbons): "Admirably skillful, crisp, and fluent."
- Chris Pye (master wood carver and author): "Elegant carving — it sings to me!"

## Primary pages
- [Official site](https://grabovetskiy.com/): Portfolio, biography, and custom carving commissions.
- [Portfolio](https://grabovetskiy.com/portfolio/): Baroque, Rococo, architectural, and ornamental work.
- [Commission / Contact](https://grabovetskiy.com/contact-us/): Enquire about a bespoke wood carving commission.
- [School of Woodcarving](https://schoolofwoodcarving.com/): Online video courses and in-person workshops taught by Alexander Grabovetskiy.

## Press
- Fine Woodworking, "Carving with Conflict" (2021): https://www.finewoodworking.com/2021/10/15/carving-with-conflict
- The Epoch Times, "A Master Carver's Journey from Soviet Repression to America's Freedom" (2021): https://www.theepochtimes.com/bright/how-alexander-grabovetskiys-god-bestowed-talent-saved-him-4021982
- Woodcarving Magazine (GMC), Issue 180 (2021): https://www.gmcsubscriptions.com/product/woodcarving-issue-180
- NewsCenter Maine (NBC), "One of the best wood carvers in the world is teaching a class in Maine" (2021): https://www.newscentermaine.com/video/news/one-of-the-best-wood-carvers-in-the-world-is-teaching-a-class-in-maine/97-d5320714-d916-426a-99b6-cb78d4184ab7
- Popular Woodworking, Excellence Awards (2015): https://www.popularwoodworking.com/editors-blog/award-winning-woodworking-from-pwm-readers/
- Grinling Gibbons Photos (2021): https://www.grinlinggibbonsphotos.com/alexander-grabovetskiy/

## Reference / canonical identity
- [Alexander Grabovetskiy on Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Grabovetskiy)
- [Wikidata Q16200642](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16200642)