Svetlana Berzina

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Svetlana Yakovlevna Berzina (

doctor nauk of history (1977), she was a member of the board of the USSR-ARE Society (1987), was awarded the Medal "In Commemoration of the 850th Anniversary of Moscow" (1997), Honoured Worker of the Russian Federation (1999), Chief Research Officer of the Department of the History of Material Culture and Ancient Art of the East at the State Museum of the East
, Moscow.

Career

She studied history in the archaeology department of

Meroe
and the Surrounding World. 1st-8th Centuries AD). From 1981 she was employed by the State Museum of the East, Moscow.

Berzina was acknowledged as a specialist in the history and culture of Ancient

Meroe
and was inevitably involved in international conferences on Meroitic research. Her central area of interest was the role of art in contacts between ancient civilizations. For over 15 years, Berzina was custodian of the foundation Геммы, печати и буллы Востока (Gems, Seals and Bullae of the East). She worked on the attribution of items of African art which came into the museum, a significant portion of the collection which was enriched by her active work with private collectors. In the museum's African collection, she prepared a comprehensive catalogue for publication, Оружие и художественный металл Тропической Африки в собрании Государственного музея Востока (Weapons and Artistic Metalwork of Sub-Saharan Africa in the Collections of the State Museum of the East). Berzina published more than 150 scholarly works, including two monographs.

Berzina was constantly involved in the exhibitions of the Museum of the East and several exhibitions were prepared by her, including: Пирамиды вечности (Pyramids of Eternity), Древние геммы и камни Востока (Ancient Gems and Stones of the East), Образы Тропической Африки (Imagery of Tropical Africa), Христианство на Золотом роге (Christianity in the Golden Horn).

Death

Berzina died in the April 2012, at the age of 81.

Awards and honours

Selected works

  • 1992. Мероэ и окружающий мир. I—VIII вв. (Meroe and the Surrounding World. 1st-8th centuries AD)
  • 2001. Образы Тропической Африки. Каталог выставки. (Imagery of Tropical Africa: Exhibition Catalogue) 80 pages. 6 plates.
  • 2010. Древние геммы Востока. (Ancient Gems of the East).[2]
Articles

References