Elena Alexandrovna Timofeeva-Resovskaya at the forefront of radiobiology in the XX century.

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to show the outstanding contribution of Elena Alexandrovna Timofeeva-Resovskaya (1898-1973) to the development of radiobiology.
Materials and Methods: We reviewed the author's memoirs and materials from the personal archive, as well as literary and electronic sources.
Results and Conclusions: For the first time the autobiography of Elena A. Timofeeva-Resovskaya and the periods of her scientific activity were revealed. We demonstrated the primary role of Elena A. Timofeeva-Resovskaya in the research of aquatic ecosystems. The results of her research turned out to be important both for solving the problems of radioactive contamination of territories and for the development of modern radioecology. Throughout her life, she worked with her husband Nikolay V. Timofeev-Resovsky (1900-1981), a great scientist and prominent scientific enlightener. There was no purpose to describe the life of Timofeev-Resovskies family, full of exciting events, but it was not possible to avoid it. For young women in science, Elena A. Timofeeva-Resovskaya can provide an example of a successful scientific career even in turbulent times.