Elena Dmitrievna Polenova by her origin belonged to the famous Russian creative dynasty of the Polenovs-Lvovs, whose representatives glorified their Fatherland in the field of science, education and art. The future artist was born in St. Petersburg on November 15 (28), 1850. M.A. Polenova wrote an interesting children's book "Summer in Tsarskoye Selo," which has withstood five editions. For the fourth edition of this book, which was published in 1892 and supplemented with new stories, epics and fairy tales, her children, artists Elena Dmitrievna and Vasily Dmitrievich Polenovs, as well as their friend Alexander Yakovlevich Golovin prepared illustrations.