Léon (Lev) Bakst (born Rosenberg) was born in 1866 into a Jewish family. From childhood he was fascinated by theatre and painting. In 1883 he enrolled as a non-degree student at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, but did not graduate. From 1887 he studied painting independently, created illustrations, and took lessons from Alexander Benois. He presented his work to the public for the first time in 1889, replacing his real name — Leyb-Khaim Rosenberg — with the pseudonym Léon Bakst. In 1893, Lev left for Paris, where he continued his studies in the studios of various artists. Later he joined the circle of writers and artists that formed around Sergei Diaghilev and Alexander Benois (later known as the “World of Art” movement). One of Léon Bakst’s principal domains was theatrical scenography. He created scenery sketches and costume designs for the Hermitage Theatre (“The Heart of the Marquise” (1902), “The Fairy Doll” (1903)) and the Alexandrinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg (“Hippolytus” (1902), “Oedipus at Colonus” (1904)). In 1911 he became the artistic director of Sergei Diaghilev’s “Russian Seasons.” He was responsible for the designs of the ballets “Cleopatra” (1909), “The Sleeping Beauty” (1909), “Scheherazade” (1910), “The Firebird” (1910), “The Blue God” (1912), “Daphnis and Chloe” (1912), and “Afternoon of a Faun” (1912). Lev Samoylovich created costume designs for artists of the Imperial Theatres — Vaslav and Bronislava Nijinsky, Tamara Karsavina, and Vera Fokina. Bakst also collaborated with Ida Rubinstein’s theatre troupe (“Antigone” (1904), “The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian” (1911), “Salome” (1912), “Ishtar” (1924)). He also developed designs for interiors and accessories, furniture and tableware, jewellery, and textiles. The collection of the Bakhrushin Theatre Museum includes costume designs for the productions “The Fairy Doll” (1903), “Oedipus at Colonus” (1904), “La Traviata” (1908), “Narcissus and Echo” (1911), “Peri” (1911, an unrealized production), and “The Blue God” (1912).