Bakharev is one of the prominent Russian nonconformist painters. Reminiscent of Larionov and Goncharova, his works combine notes of Fauvism and expressionism, exploring the religious and mystical spirit of his heritage. After perestroika, Bakharev had many opponents to his work. Even with having an impressive solo exhibition record across Russia, he was still targeted with threatening letters and phone calls culminating in the burning of his studio and the loss of a large number of his paintings and sculptures. Valery Bakharev's works are in the permanent collections of the Ivanovo and Kostroma museums in Moscow and private collections throughout the world.