Valery Vatenin was born in 1933 in Leningrad. In 1959 Valery Vatenin graduated from the Repin Institute of Fine Arts, Boris Ioganson's workshop. He was a student of Valery Pimenov, Leonid Khudyakov, Alexander Zaitsev. He has participated in exhibitions since 1959. Member of Leningrad Union of Artists  since 1965. He painted portraits, genre and compound compositions, still lifes. Personal exhibition in Leningrad (1985). The works of Valery Vatenin are in the State Russian Museum, the State Tretyakov Gallery, in numerous museums and private collections in Russia, Italy, the USA and other countries.