Vladimir Malagis, also known as Iliya Vulf, was a Soviet painter and graphic artist. He was born in Griva, Courland province (now part of Daugavpils, Latvia). Malagis received his initial artistic training at the Drawing School of the Society for the Encouragement of the Arts. Following the October Revolution, he continued his studies at the Petrograd State Free Art and Educational Workshops. During the years 1920 to 1924, Malagis served as a volunteer in the Red Army.

The majority of Malagis' works consisted of genre and historical paintings that embodied the spirit of socialist realism. He frequently painted portraits of his contemporaries, including labor heroes and prominent party figures. Throughout his career, Malagis was affiliated with various art associations and organizations, such as the "Circle of Artists," "Leningrad Union of Artists," "October," and the "Union of Artists of the USSR." Vladimir Ilyich Malagis passed away in 1974 in Leningrad.