Tatyana Apraksina

Tatyana Apraksina (Russian: Татья́на Апра́ксина, IPA: [tɐˈtʲjanə ɐˈpraksʲɪnə] ⓘ) is an artist and writer who also produces the magazine Apraksin Blues.

[1] Her salon on Apraksin Lane hosted the original members of Akvarium, as well as nascent songwriter Mike Naumenko,[1] who by the early 1980s as the founder of Zoopark would gain recognition as a key figure in Russian rock and blues music.

[9][10][11] She received permission to attend rehearsals of what is now the Saint Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra and of other ensembles, doing so for four to six hours a day,[6] getting to know musicians and producing hundreds of charcoal sketches, and reading music-related literature.

The hall's director, Dmitry Ivanovich Sollertinsky, facilitated her work by giving her an on-site studio and a pass granting access to nearly all rehearsals and concerts at the Philharmonia.

[12] As part of the observances of Shostakovich's 80th birthday, the artist donated the portrait to what is now the Saint Petersburg Conservatory, which hung the work in Room 36, where the composer taught his classes.

[23] In 2008, Apraksina's California Psalms, written in Big Sur,[7] [24][25][26][27][28][29] was among the laureates of the international poetry competition held by the Russian Foreign Ministry in partnership with Literary Gazette.