Mikhail Anatolievich Poletaev was born on May 13th, 1959, in Moscow, Russia. He studied at Kalinin Moscow University of Industrial and Applied Arts graduating in 1982. He earned an advanced degree from the Moscow Stroganov Higher School of Industrial and Applied Arts graduating in 1988. He served as an art professor at the Moscow Surikov State Academic Institute of Arts.

His professional memberships include The International Academy of Culture and Art; The Moscow Union of Arts; The Russian Academy of Arts; The Russian Federation; and The Russian Union of Artists.

The art of Mikhail Anatolievich Poletaev is or has been exhibited in museums, galleries, art festivals, and with independent art dealers online including but not necessarily limited to the following:
ArtRussia.ru; Central Painter’s House, Moscow, Russia; International Exhibition of Orthodox Arts, Moscow, Russia; International Festival of Arts, Moscow, Russia; Russian Academy of Arts Museum, Moscow, Russia; and the Russian Arts Exhibition, Moscow, Russia.