Lydia Aleksandrovna Durnovo (russian: Лидия Александровна Дурново; 1885 – 1963) was a Soviet

art historian Art history is the study of aesthetic objects and visual expression in historical and stylistic context. Traditionally, the discipline of art history emphasized painting, drawing, sculpture, architecture, ceramics and decorative arts; yet today ...

and

art restorer The conservation and restoration of cultural property focuses on protection and care of cultural property, cultural property (tangible cultural heritage), including Collection (artwork), artworks, Architectural conservation, architecture, Archae ...

. She specialized in medieval art, especially in early Russian painting and Armenian illuminated manuscripts ( miniatures) and frescoes. Born in the Russian city of

Smolensk Smolensk ( rus, Смоленск, p=smɐˈlʲensk, a=smolensk_ru.ogg) is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River, west-southwest of Moscow. First mentioned in 863, it is one of the oldest c ...

, Durnovo first attended a local gymnasium and a painting school before moving to Saint Petersburg where she attended the School of Technical Drawing of Baron Alexander von Stieglitz beginning in 1903. She subsequently completed her postgraduate studies at the State Institute of Art History ( Государственный институт истории искусств) and the Archaeology Institute ( ru) between 1920 and 1923. Durnovo worked as a

research fellow A research fellow is an academic research position at a university or a similar research institution, usually for academic staff or faculty members. A research fellow may act either as an independent investigator or under the supervision of a pr ...

at the Archaeology Institute, specializing in early Russian art. She was also the assistant curator of the

Russian Museum The State Russian Museum (russian: Государственный Русский музей), formerly the Russian Museum of His Imperial Majesty Alexander III (russian: Русский Музей Императора Александра III), on ...

. In October 1933 she was arrested for allegedly being an "active member of a counterrevolutionary fascist organization." She was deported to

Siberia Siberia ( ; rus, Сибирь, r=Sibir', p=sʲɪˈbʲirʲ, a=Ru-Сибирь.ogg) is an extensive geographical region, constituting all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has been a part of ...

and eventually freed three years later, in November 1936. Durnovo moved to the Armenian capital of

Yerevan Yerevan ( , , hy, Երևան , sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Y ...

and became a member of the staff of the

National Gallery of Armenia The National Gallery of Armenia ( hy, Հայաստանի ազգային պատկերասրահ, ''Hayastani azgayin patkerasrah'') is the largest art museum in Armenia. Located on Yerevan's Republic Square, the museum has one of the most prominent ...

. Until 1951 she was devoted to the study of medieval Armenian frescoes and

illuminated manuscripts An illuminated manuscript is a formally prepared document where the text is often supplemented with flourishes such as borders and miniature illustrations. Often used in the Roman Catholic Church for prayers, liturgical services and psalms, the ...

. She specialized in medieval

Armenian art Armenian art is the unique form of art developed over the last five millennia in which the Armenian people lived on the Armenian Highland. Armenian architecture and miniature painting have dominated Armenian art and have shown consistent devel ...

, and by the mid-1950s Durnovo earned the reputation of an authoritative expert in the field. She supervised the restoration of the

Etchmiadzin Cathedral Etchmiadzin Cathedral) or simply Etchmiadzin. Alternatively spelled as Echmiadzin, Ejmiatsin, and Edjmiadsin. ( hy, Էջմիածնի մայր տաճար, Ēǰmiatsni mayr tačar) is the mother church of the Armenian Apostolic Church, located i ...

's frescoes. She was rehabilitated by the Soviet government in 1956.

Publications

*Собрание копий памятников древнерусской монументальной живописи Государственного института истории искусств. Л., 1925. *Техника древнерусской живописи. Русский музей. Художественный отдел. Материалы по технике и методам реставрации древнерусской живописи. Л., 1926. *Техника древнерусской фрески. Секция пространственных мастеров и научно-показательная часть. Техника стенописи. Гос. академия художественных наук. М., 1927. *Икона Спаса Нерукотворного (№ 3045. Гос. русский музей). Сб. «Материалы по русскому искусству», т. I. Л., 1928. * ** ** *

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Durnovo, Lydia 1885 births 1963 deaths Soviet art historians People from Smolensk Women art historians