Nina Lekarenko
/1911-1995/
Nina Lekarenko had a notable career as an artist and illustrator. She studied at the Academy of Arts, specializing in newspapers, magazines, and children's books, before transferring to the Moscow Polygraphic Institute. Lekarenko began her professional journey in 1931 at the Leningrad branch of the publishing house "Children's Literature".
Unfortunately, Lekarenko faced personal hardships, including multiple marriages and the tragic arrest and execution of her second husband, Mikhail Borisov. In the fall of 1937, she herself was arrested as a member of a traitor's family and sentenced to five years. She served her sentence in various camps. Released in 1942, Lekarenko was assigned to work at a sawmill in the Novosibirsk region until the end of the war. After her term, she resettled in Luga and later returned to Leningrad in 1946. Despite the challenges she faced, Lekarenko continued her career in illustration, working for various publishing houses in Leningrad. She became known for her illustrations in numerous books and magazines.