Elena Was born on January 21, 1931, in Gomel. Her mother was originally from Vitebsk, studied at the Vitebsk Teachers' Institute (today The Vitebsk State University named after Masherov), but due to the circumstances did not graduate. Elena's father is from the village of Krasnopole in the Mogilev region, graduated from the Leningrad Forestry Academy (today St. Petersburg State Forestry University), worked in the forest industry.
In 1935, the family was forced to leave Belarus for three years in the village of Vokhtoga in the Vologda region of the Russian Federation. There Elena went to the first class, and on her return to Belarus, she continued her studies at Berezin High School.
With the outbreak of World War II, the girl's family evacuated to the town of Melekes (today Dimitrovgrad) in the Ulyanovsk region of the Russian Federation.
In 1943, Elena's father died at the front near the Eagle. A year later, after the liberation of Minsk from the Nazi invaders, the girl and her mother and sister came here for permanent residence and continued her studies in one of the city's schools.
From early childhood, Elena loved books and in school years dreamed of becoming a librarian. Her dream came true. In 1950, Elena Lev enrolled at the Minsk State Pedagogical Institute named after Gorky (today the Belarusian State Pedagogical University named after Maxim Tank). Having successfully completed her studies, she was appointed head of the Youth City Library, and two years later, for family reasons, she was transferred to the Library of the Palace of Trade Union Culture (today the Republican Palace of Trade Union Culture). For 10 years Elena Lev served as the Head of the Reading Room.
Elena was a person with an active life position and diverse interests. For more than a decade, she combined her career with that of the secretary of the Komsomol organization of the Palace of Trade Union Culture; she was elected chairman of the sports team of the voluntary sports society Spartak, secretary of the praesidium of the voluntary sports society of the regional committee of culture. She was awarded the Honorary Letter of honour of the Minsk Regional Committee for her fruitful work on the communist education of young people.
In 1966, she began her work in the State Library of the BSSR named after V.I. Lenin (today the National Library of Belarus). Having established herself as a knowledgeable, responsible, creative and proactive employee, she went from librarian to head of the sector of the scientific and bibliographic department.
In the library, Elena Lev was engaged in compiling bibliographic manuals on social and political topics. The well-prepared recommendations and lists of literature prepared by her were in great demand by librarians of the republic.
In addition to the editorial work, Elena Lev led the responsible section to coordinate the activities of the country's libraries in the creation of the republican system of manuals, drew up consolidated plans for publications, supervised their implementation, prepared analytical reviews of the publishing activities of libraries of the republic. She constantly provided methodical assistance to the bibliographers who compiled the manuals, supervised their internship; went to libraries to learn from work experience and provide practical assistance in the field on the use of benefits.
Elena took an active part in the public life of the library and enjoyed a well-deserved authority among the staff. For a number of years, she was a member of the methodical council of the party library of the House of Political Education, a member of the board of the primary organization of the Society of Book Lovers, a member of the local committee of the library's trade union; a regular participant in the Belarusian radio program "For believers and non-believers."
In 1972, the Belarusian Republican Committee of the Trade Union of Cultural Workers presented Elena Lev for the award of the Honorary Certificate of the Ministry of Culture of the USSR and the Central Committee of the Trade Union of Cultural Workers, and at the end of 1977 her name was put on the board of honor of the State Library of the BSSR named after V.I. Lenin. Elena Lev was also awarded the Honorary Letter of the State Committee of the Belarusian USSR on television and radio broadcasting (1987) for her fruitful cooperation with the Republican Broadcasting Service.
For health reasons, in 1988 Elena Lev left the position of head of the sector and for the next three years, she served as a senior bibliographer. Reaching retirement age, she left the library for a well-deserved rest.
The entire staff of the National Library of Belarus heartily congratulates Elena Leo on her anniversary and wishes her good health, inexhaustible energy and strength, joy, happiness and well-being.
Bibliology Research Department
