The Memorial study of A.I. Zelenova

The Memorial Study-room of A.I.Zelenova excites great interest among the Museum staff, restorers and guests. Nowadays this is the only example of a memorial Museum in honor of the Museum worker.

Anna Zelenova was a young girl when she came to Pavlovsk in 1932. She guided tours, wrote methodical literature, created the exhibitions. In 1939-1940 she led the work on the General inventory of Museum collections. When the war began, Zelenova involved in the work of evacuation the Museum items deep into the country and also hide scultures in the Museum shelters, buried them in the Park. She was 28 years old when she was appointed as a Director of the Pavlovsk in 1941. The blockade was tightened closer around Leningrad, and then it was decided to place the value Museums treasures in St. Isaac’s Cathedral in Leningrad. After the occupation Anna Ivanovna saw Pavlovsk again in February 1944: burned Palace stood in ruins, a magnificent Park was cut down and dug with trenches. After the decision of the Commission that the Palace can’t be restored, Zelenova actively proves the possibility of its revival. She organized the work on conservation of the remaining decoration. She has developed scientific methods of restoration of architectural monuments for the first time in the history of museology. It has made the government's decision to initiate conservation and restoration works and the first subsidies for their conduct. The creative team of Museum staff, designers, restorers formed around her. Pavlovsk became the national school of restoration and the first suburban Palace, restored from the ruins like the magical bird Phoenix. The Palace was revived by the talented restorers and, first of all, thanks to the Anna Ivanovna’s energy, perseverance and faith.

In the Memorial Study-room everything is the same as it was in 1960-1970, when there was already a Museum. There are books, notebooks and business papers on the Zelenova's desk which are create an atmosphere of her presence. The personal items represented in the Study-room keep precious memories.