Born Boris Nikolaevich in 1921 the War found him a student of Architectural Institute. Student Rachmaninoff was part of the architectural battalion, which was engaged in the disguise of Moscow - created illusory village above the Great Theatre and many other attractions of the capital (you can tell, creating a camouflage packaging for Moscow).
After graduation, Boris worked in the Department of restoration of monuments of the Academy of architecture, where he created a special laboratory for the measurements of architectural monuments. The tendency to search for new solutions has led Boris to the development and introduction in our country a new method of measurement, which allows measurements, for example, all of the Solovetsky monastery for 40 days, and that was done by Rachmaninoff almost single-handedly. The result of this activity was the book under the editorship of B. N. Rachmaninoff's "Stereoscopy in architecture and construction", published in 1952
A serious illness prevented further active work. Not possible steel long trip associated with the measurements. And, since 1963, Boris Rachmaninov goes to the teacher at the Stroganov school, where he began to teach descriptive geometry. But this subject was the meaning of his life.
From childhood he loved to draw and studied art, was interested in and knew the history of art. It is also significant that the addiction found a way out - he became one of the founders and public guardians "itteki" in the library. N. A. Nekrasov. Especially at this time he was interested in applied graphics.
Collectors with a passion for beauty and ability to see things ordinary often ahead of its time in the choice of priorities. It happened with the interest and love of Boris Yeltsin to the Russian Rachmaninoff applied graphics, in particular to the label and packaging. Today, its collection of samples with a large number of copies of the most interesting in Russia. Actually, Boris is not a collector in the usual sense of the word. He does not seek to collect everything at home and enjoy the treasure alone as "the miserly knight". His collection is a methodical Foundation teacher of the history of graphic arts at the Department "Graphic design and packaging" that is open in the Stroganov school, with the direct participation of Boris Yeltsin in 1964 (unfortunately, later from the name of the Department disappeared first word "package" and then "graphic" design was replaced by the "communicative"...). Thus, despite the winding path that fate brought Rachmaninoff (or he led her) to a logical conclusion. Today Boris Yeltsin is perhaps the most knowledgeable expert in your favorite subject. His articles on selected aspects of the history of packaging and labelling was published in the journal "packaging" and other special editions, was translated into foreign languages. And his latest work - the album "Two centuries of Russian label", written in collaboration with I. N. Humble, was timed to coincide with the exhibition of the same name, held in 1998 at the Polytechnic Museum. Both the exhibition and the album became an event for all connoisseurs and lovers of Russian labels, Russian graphic arts and Russian culture.
(From the article "Two centuries and one life" , the Edition "packaging" №3, 2001)
