Zinaida Mikhailovna Silina (1921–2001)

Zinaida Mikhailovna Silina was born in 1921 in the city of Novocherkassk in a family of employees. In 1938, Zinaida Silina graduated from secondary school and entered the Faculty of Biology of the Leningrad State University (LGU). The War of 1941-45 disrupted plans for a peaceful life. Despite enormous difficulties, university students continued their studies. In 1942, the University was evacuated to Saratov. In the summer of that year Zinaida Silina graduated from the University. She was appointed to the position of senior laboratory assistant at the Botanical Garden Department of the Botanical Institute. The most important area of her work soon became the study of the tulip culture. The active work of Zinaida Silina on tulips, which started back in 1946, continued until 1986. She successfully defended her PhD thesis in biology entitled «Tulips in Leningrad» on April 16, 1952. Zinaida Silina studied tulips in a versatile and most systematic way. The fact that a large number of tulip bulbs used in the country is of national instead of foreign origin is undoubtedly due to the great contribution made by Dr. Silina. In 1986, Zinaida Silina retired. She passed away on March 26, 2001 and was buried at the Shuvalovsky Сemetery in St. Petersburg.