Bukin began figure skating at age seven, entering the Children and Youth Sports School of CSKA in Moscow.

At age ten, he joined Spartak and began ice dancing, originally training at the Small Sports Arena of the Central Lenin Stadium.

In his early career, he was coached by Nadezhda Shirokova and his ice dancing partner was Olga Abankina, whom he married.

The duo capped their lengthy career by winning the gold medal there and at that year's World Championships.

Bukin married former ice dancing partner, Olga Abankina, with whom he has a son Andrei (born 1983).