Malyutina Natalia Afanasievna

    Natalia Malyutina originates from a prominent Cossack family. Her parents have moved to the Far East in 1945. Natalia studied at the Historical Faculty of the Vladivostok Pedagogical Institute. She has later moved to Leningrad and transferred to the Leningrad Pedagogical Institute, where she has later met her husband Nikolai Artamonov.
    In 1950 Natalia Afanasievna moved to Kenigsberg (later renamed Kaliningrad), where her husband has been transferred. She works there at the creation of the Pillau (modern-day Baltiysk) Museum of the Baltic Fleet. The museum's exhibits were collected mainly from the bottom of the sea. In order to do this, N. Malyutina has attended special diving courses.
   In Kenigsberg Malyutina became involved in the search for the famous Amber Room, stolen by the Nazis from Leningrad. During that time main searching activities were being conducted in Eastern Prussia. Although the Amber Room itself has not been found, numerous valuables were retrieved from sea bottom in the process of the search. The names of those who have died in combat in that area became known to their families. The museum in Pillau has also been created.
    In 1959 Natalia Malyutina's husband has disappeared mysteriously after leaving Gdynia, Poland on his ship. After the loss of her husband, N. Malyutina has returned to Leningrad. There she worked in the Central Naval Museum, and later as Secretary in charge of the Moscow district department of the Society for the Preservation of Historical and Cultural Landmarks. She has participated in the rescuing of the Chesmen Church. She searched for the remains of the heroic pilot Aleksei Sevastianov and assisted in their re-burial. She also searched for many historical relics, worked as a guide, a teacher and a freelance journalist.
    Today Natalia Malyutina heads the "Mysteries of Our Century" cultural and educational fund, founded on May 28, 1991. The fund puts together archives, develops plans of expeditions and carries them out. An expedition to the Vyborg Gulf has brought back remains of Russian ships that had sunk during the Northern war. N. Malyutina returned Russia's St. Andrew naval banners from Tunisia. She is currently organizing a program called "Memory of the Heart" aimed at preserving the memory of sailors who have died in all of Russia's wars and at creating a monument to them in Kronshtadt.
    On March 10, 1997 Natalia Malyutina has been awarded the "Golden Heart" prize, a rare award that had previously been given to Queen Elizabeth II, Rostropovich, Spivakov and Vishnevskaya.

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