Nadezhda Koshkina passed away

Nadezhda Koshkina, one of the most respected and beloved painting conservators in the national museum community, passed away at the age of 83.

Koshkina's career began in 1960 in her hometown of Perm, at the Perm State Art Gallery. She participated in the inspection of churches in the ancient towns of the Perm region and worked in the gallery's research and education department. Even after moving to the capital, Nadezhda maintained her connection to her first museum and contributed to the restoration of paintings from its collection.

From 1968 to 2023, Koshkina worked in the oil painting restoration department at the Grabar Art Conservation Centre, and from 1986 to 2023, she headed the department. From 2007 to 2022, she served as Deputy Head of the Department of Restoration and Conservation at the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, leading the restoration of oil paintings.

Koshkina followed in the footsteps of the post-war generation of restoration masters (S. Churakov, V. Karaseva, I. Tikhomirova), and became a wise, exacting, and generous mentor to several generations of art conservators. She trained young specialists at the Pushkin Museum and the Grabar Centre, as well as numerous trainees from regional museums across Russia and from neighboring and distant countries.

Her legacy as a mentor is cherished by graduates of the Repin St. Petersburg Academic Institute of Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture (from which Koshkina graduated in 1970) and the Moscow Academic Art School in memory of 1905. For many years, she chaired the Certification Committee of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation for oil painting conservators. Nadezhda Sergeyevna was deeply committed to ensuring generational continuity and preserving the traditions of the national school of conservation.

In 1976, she achieved the status of conservator of the highest qualification, and she continued to practice until recently. Among the paintings restored through her efforts were N.I. Argunov’s “Portrait of Sheremetev” (Ostankino estate, State Museum of Fine Arts "Ostankino and Kuskovo"), "Southern Landscape" (circle of C. Lorrain, Perm State Art Gallery), and K. Rutgart’s “Deer Hunting” (Serpukhov Historical and Art Museum), for which she discovered the artist's signature and date. She also restored the 16th-century “Madonna and Child” (Art Gallery of the Smolensk State Museum-Reserve). In 2017, she restored Paolo Veronese's painting “The Resurrection of Christ” at the Pushkin Museum, where her research confirmed Veronese’s authorship. The painting was later exhibited at the “Venice of the Renaissance” exhibition.

We remember Koshkina’s significant contributions as the leader of large-scale restoration projects, including the restoration of G.B. Tiepolo's large canvas "The Banquet of Cleopatra" (Arkhangelskoye State Museum-Reserve), F.A. Roubaud’s panorama "The Battle of Borodino" (Borodino Panorama Museum, Moscow), the "Battle of Stalingrad" panorama (Stalingrad Battle Panorama Museum, Volgograd), and Roubaud’s panorama "The Defense of Sevastopol."

Nadezhda played a key role in organizing efforts to save and restore paintings from the war-damaged Grozny Museum (1995–2007). Since 1999, she was actively involved in the State Tretyakov Gallery’s “Golden Map of Russia” project, which aimed to preserve the collections of regional museums throughout the country.

Over the past decades, Nadezhda visited countless museums in Russia and neighbouring countries, “from Yakutsk to Nukus.” Despite her age, she remained active and dedicated, personally overseeing the examination and restoration of dozens of museum collections.
In 1994, her distinguished work earned her the title of "Honored Cultural Worker of the Russian Federation."

Nadezhda Koshkina’s name will deservedly be remembered alongside the artists whose creations were given a second life through her knowledge, expertise, and tireless dedication to preserving cultural heritage.

Her memory will live on in the hearts of her colleagues and the many students who had the privilege of working with her.