The artist was born in Kiev. His father, Petr Sergeevich, was a Navigator coastal shipping, mother Anastasia Bulgakova, née Grigorovich; the family had also two daughters, Elisabeth and Antonina. In August 1902 Boris Bulgakov enrolled in the Third school of Kiev, a full course which graduated in July 1913. In August of the same year, Boris entered the Kiev Imperial University of St. Vladimir, first medical faculty, where he studied for about a year, and later to the historical-philological. By this time, the first pictorial experiments.
In August 1916, twenty-three Boris Bulgakov left a volunteer — a volunteer to the front. In combat he showed himself as the perfect officer and a brave soldier, participating in military operations, he was awarded several medals that he received personal nobility, and then two crosses of St. George (their officers were only awarded for exceptional courage in combat).
...31 January 1921 Boris Petrovich Bulgakov was enrolled in the graphic Department of the Second Moscow free art studios, then renamed into VHUTEMAS. Classmate of A. A. Deineka and A. D. Goncharov, Bulgakov graduated in 1926. At the same time, B. P. Bulgakov began to participate in exhibitions, including foreign. Successful participation in the exhibition in Chicago (1933), a number of works acquired European museums.
The circumstances of the biography of Bulgakov, B. P. determined the dependence of creative searches of the artist in later years from severe time requirements. As his individual artistic style was recognized as formalism, Bulgakov made several attempts to adapt to the requirements of socialist realism reigned. However, the creative enthusiasm that it did not cause, and gradually he focused on design work in the publishing house "Detskaya Literatura".