My mother, Tatiana Kofyan, creator of this site, has passed away on November 23rd 2003, after a brief period of treatment for her illness. She had lymphoma, was treated 4 years previously, and hasn't survived it the second time.

Tatiana has spent a great deal of her time working on this site: scanning books, albums and even postcards; editing the scanned pictures, restoring badly printed ones and making the images manageable; creating the sequence of the pictures on the pages; collecting the names and details of every work; putting together a short biography for each artist; answering mail from our many visitors; researching and scouting for new material. There wasn't a phone call or a visit that hasn't touched on the subject of our site; there wasn't a friend she hasn't asked to be on the lookout for books and material.

She lived and breathed her Russian Avant-Garde Gallery, and I feel the need to continue her project. In her memory and in her honor I shall continue the work she has started, and so passionately pursued.

For the near and foreseeable future, as I have neither the opportunity nor the knowledge to further develop the site, I consider it my task to maintain it as it is. What I can say with a high degree of certainty is, that I plan to soon publish pages of her illustrations and other graphical work; and also a series of photos she took on her trips in Israel and abroad. This would allow our visitors to know my mother a little better. I shall also put up some family photos.

I had the privilege to grow up with a mother who was a very deep and talented person. During the Shiv'a week, someone asked me to describe my mother in a sentence. I think the one that best describes her is, that she has never known boredom. That was also her greatest legacy to me and to my own son.

Please, continue visiting us, and continue your correspondence. I shall answer to the best of my ability, and I also have been promised some help from her colleagues.

I would like to ask you all to sign our Guestbook before you leave.

God bless her memory.

Vera Kofyan