Alexander A. Grabovetskiy carves from early morning to late in the evening. But it was not always this easy for the award-winning woodcarver. Born in the Soviet Union, Alexander received his initial education in ornamental woodcarving from his grandfather when he was six years old. By the time he was 16, he was noticed by Vladimir Tokarev and taken under his wing, learning the art of carving true masterpieces. Life seemed to be heading in the right direction for Alexander when he suffered the biggest setback of his life. He was arrested by the Soviet government and sent to prison for his adherence to the Christian faith and refusal to enter the Red Army. He was released from prison at the age of 21. By that time, Alexander had already started a successful architectural and ornamental woodcarving business from prison. In 1996, Alexander, his wife, Nadia, and their ten-month-old son, Mark, moved to America, where he has become one of America’s premier carvers. In 2012, he was selected as the International Carver of the Year. Alexander’s intricate wall decorations and wood ornaments grace the walls of royal palaces. In 2015, Alexander received the Woodworking Excellence Award in Turning, Carving, and Objet d’Art.