Balayeva, Serafima Nikolayevna (1889-1960), a muse

Subject / Museums/Personnel
Balayeva, Serafima Nikolayevna (1889-1960), a museum worker. She learned in the Higher Woman (Bestuzhev's) School between 1907-1911. Until 1919 S.N. Balayeva taught at the private woman high school of Mogilyanskaya. From 1919 S.N. Balayeva worked at the Gatchina Palace-Museum (see the article: "Gatchina", a State Museum-Reserve); from 1927 she was chief curator's assistant, from 1933 she worked as the Head of the art department. From the late June of 1941 till 9 September of 1941 Balayeva led the temporary closing-down and evacuation of arts wealth. As a result, four special train succeeded in sending into Sarapul Town, so 12 thousand items, a fifth part of the museum collections, were saved. During the Leningrad siege S.N. Balayeva was being in Leningrad keeping the Gatchina museum exhibits in cellars of St. Isaak Cathedral. S.N. Balayeva was awarded with the medal "For Defence of Leningrad". After the liberation of Gatchina S.N. Balayeva returned into the Palace-museum. During 1945-1956 Balayeva worked as a curator and the deputy director on the scientific work. S.N. Balayeva's scientific heritage include many historic references and methodic materials which are used at the restoration of the Gatchina Palace halls in present days. S.N. Balayeva was buried in the Bolsheokhtinsky cemetery in St. Petersburg. Piryutko, Yuri Minayevich
Balayeva, Serafima Nikolayevna
Leningrad Oblast, the/Gatchina District/Gatchina Town
"Gatchina", the State Museum-Reserve