The 2008 Russian Federation National Award in Literature and Art is presented to Marina FLIT for her outstanding contribution to the preservation of international cultural heritage and the revival of a unique monument of landscape art, the Pavlovsk Palace and Park [country residence of the Russian Imperial family].
Marina Flit was born on May 29, 1937. She is Chief Curator at Pavlovsk Park of Pavlovsk State Art and Architectural Museum of Palace and Park.
The Pavlovsk Palace and Park is the world's masterpiece of manmade landscape art. During World War II the Nazi occupation caused tremendous damage to the park: 70,000 trees and 30,000 shrubs were cut down and part of the landscape of the area was completely destroyed.
For more than forty years, Marina Flit has worked as Chief Curator at Pavlovsk Park. Over the years her methods and leadership have led to the scientific restoration of the park. The technique developed by Marina Flit was successfully emlpoyed in the work to restore a number of other historic parks in Russia.