Russian Federation

Elena Armand
5.08.1960 – 2.02.2017

It is with deep sadness that we inform you that Elena Alexeevna Armand passed away after a long battle with cancer.

Elena was a person of integrity and true professional with extensive knowledge of biodiversity conservation and sustainable development issues. She was so much proud to be a third-generation geographer and environmentalist as Elena took after her father Alexey Davidovich and her grandfather David L’vovich.

A graduate of the Geography Department at Moscow State University, she taught geography in Chita region, was a research fellow at the Geography Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and continued her career path as the manager of the World Bank and Global Environmental Facility (GEF) project Biodiversity conservation in Russia. Later Elena took charge of the environment cluster at UNDP Russia.

Led by Elena Armand in 2011-2012, the UNDP Project Support Office in Russia managed to go through a challenging transition period. She succeeded in making a solid team of professionals achieving concrete and tangible results to safeguard country’s unique natural values.

Elena had an almost 20-year record managing GEF-funded environmental projects in Russia. Elena Armand was known, respected and loved in Kamchatka, Altay, the Komi Republic, Lower Volga region and the Arctic.  

Elena will stay in our hearts as a beautiful, talented, kind and radiant person who treated fairly those around her. 

You may wish to send condolences to her husband Misha Kuznetsov - mishakuz28@gmail.com