George Michael Virine was born Yuri Millievich Ezersky on March 15, 1920 in Moscow, Russia.
[1] His father Millievich Ezersky was an academic and writer and his mother Zinaida worked in the costume production unit of the Bolshoi Ballet.
Following the war, he continued working as a sculptor of souvenir goods in Luxembourg,[6] despite lacking identity papers.
After Soviet secret police were detected in Luxembourg, he moved to Paris, France where he sculpted artwork for movie theatres.
[5] He served as the sculpture instructor from 1958, helping train many young sculptors[7] including Rhyl Hinwood and Philip Piperides,[4] until he resigned in 1976.