Former Hermitage Employee Dies After Dismissal

The body of 79-year-old Lyudmila Ilyina, who long worked as a guard at the Hermitage, was found in her apartment a month after her dismissal. The museum stated that she performed her duties excellently but decided not to renew her contract due to deteriorating health.

Feb 24, 2026

Sergei Mikhailichenko«s work for FONTANKA.RU illustrates the circumstances surrounding the death of the former Hermitage museum guard.
Source:
Sergei Mikhailichenko / FONTANKA.RU

79-year-old Lyudmila Ilyina, who worked as a guard at the Main Staff Building of the State Hermitage Museum since 2013, was dismissed on December 25, 2025, due to the expiration of her fixed-term employment contract.

According to the museum«s press service, it was planned that she would continue working, but due to health problems, she decided not to sign a new contract. The Hermitage emphasized that until the last day, she »excellently performed her work duties.«

Contact with the retiree was lost the day after her dismissal. Her acquaintances and neighbors for a month unsuccessfully tried to get the police and the Ministry of Emergency Situations (MChS) to open the door of her apartment on 9th Krasnoarmeyskaya Street in St. Petersburg. According to them, no active measures were taken because a paper missing person report was not filed, despite electronic appeals.

The apartment was opened only on January 28 in the presence of relatives. According to preliminary data, death occurred between December 26 and 29, 2025.

Previously, Lyudmila Ilyina«s close ones suggested that the stress associated with the dismissal could have negatively affected her condition.