Born in China into a family of Russian merchants, Yuri Ordjonikidze immigrated to the United States in 1956.

Before arriving in the United States, he lived in Brazil for three years, where he began to paint.  Both his mother and his aunt were painters, and they helped him develop his style.After moving to the United States, he applied his artistic abilities to working with wood and leather, and he also continued to paint

In 1968 Yuri came to Big Sur, and he began to sculpt.  At the turn in the road near his home on one of the ridges overlooking the sea was a landmark known as the Gladiator. Fabricated by Yuri, and over six feet high, the metal man with sword and shield stood guard as if to remind that art for art’s sake is worth sharing with the neighbors. Turning rust-colored over the years against a backdrop of golden hills, the Gladiator evoked a compelling response from the strong, and still observer within many of its viewers. A photograph of the Gladiator appears in Fog and Sun, Sea and Stone, by Steve Crouch.