Elena Varshavskaya

Elena graduated from university as a teacher of the English and German languages. She worked at the St. Petersburg Hermitage Museum Department of Education for 20 years. She arrived to the US in 1996 and, after receiving her PhD degree in Art History, taught a wide variety of courses at the Rhode Island School of Design and Eastern Connecticut State University with a main interest in Japanese woodblock prints. Elena has curated and co-curated exhibits at Springfield Museum, MA, and RISD Museum, taking particular inspiration in teaching a curating course at RISD where, under her careful supervision, her students created books reflecting various topics in Japanese Art. Elena has authored numerous research articles in art history, as well as her major life work, the book Heroes of Grand Pacification, having written it in English and in Russian.

Elena was loved by every person lucky enough to know her. She was completely dedicated to all the people around her - family, friends, students, and colleagues - and brought the best out of everyone. Always full of energy, she worked tirelessly, ignited by her research and her teaching. Elena was the best daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, sister and friend that anyone could wish for. She will be immensely missed by us all.

Elena is survived by her husband Boris, mother Elvina, brother Sergei, daughters Anna and Polina, and grandchildren Dina, Besha, Nate, Zoe and Maya.

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