Ugarov was born in Petrograd in 1922. At the onset of the Great Patriotic War, he volunteered in the militia. He then served as an artilleryman, gunner, took part in battles in the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts, in Karelia and on the Far East. He was awarded several bravery and campaign medals.
After demobilization in 1945 he entered the Leningrad Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture named after Ilya Repin, where he studied of Victor Oreshnikov and Andrei Mylnikov. In 1951 Boris Ugarov graduated from the Repin Institute of Arts in Igor Grabar workshop with the rank of artist of painting. His degree work was a painting titled "Spring on the collective farm".[3]
In 1951–1954 Ugarov engaged in postgraduate institute under the leadership of Alexander Gerasimov. In 1952 he began to teach at the Repin Institute. In the same year he became a member of the Leningrad Union of Artists. Starting in 1951, Boris Ugarov participated in Art Exhibitions. He painted genre and historical paintings, portraits and landscapes. In 1975–1979 Ugarov headed the Leningrad Union of Artists. In 1977 he was appointed rector of the Repin Institute of Arts. In 1978 he was elected a member of the USSR Academy of Arts. In 1982 Boris Ugarov was awarded the honorary title of the People's Artist of the USSR. In 1983 he was elected President of the USSR Academy of Arts, occupying this post until 1991.
Ugarov died on 2 August 1991 in Saint Petersburg at the age of seventy. His paintings reside in State Russian Museum, State Tretyakov Gallery, in art museums and private collections in Russia,[4] Japan, Ukraine, France, England, Germany, Italy, in the U.S.,[5] and others.
^Directory of members of the Leningrad branch of Union of Artists of Russian Federation. Leningrad: Khudozhnik RSFSR, 1987. p. 134.
^Sergei V. Ivanov (2007). Unknown Socialist Realism. The Leningrad School. Saint Petersburg: NP-Print Edition. pp. 9, 19, 359, 367, 389–393, 395, 397–403, 407, 442, 444. ISBN978-5-901724-21-7.
^Anniversary Directory graduates of Saint Petersburg State Academic Institute of Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture named after Ilya Repin, Russian Academy of Arts. 1915–2005. Saint Petersburg: Pervotsvet Publishing House, 2007. p. 66. ISBN978-5-903677-01-6.
^Sergei V. Ivanov (2007). Unknown Socialist Realism. The Leningrad School. Saint Petersburg: NP-Print Edition. pp. 6–7. ISBN978-5-901724-21-7.