Restorer Valeria
Book restorer Valeria Izmailova shows old books, engravings and photos coming back to life. Almost no words — just hands and process.
What it is
The TikTok of Valeria Izmailova, a restorer of books, prints and photographs based in Russia. Russian outlets TJ, The Village and Wonderzine have covered her: she comes from a family of restorers, trained at the Suzdal art restoration college, and started her TikTok in spring 2020. When we checked she had about a million followers.
The videos are almost wordless: no voiceover, just the process. Captions are short and in Russian, sometimes absent altogether, so you don't need the language to watch.
Why we picked it
This is one of those accounts that calms you down and teaches you something at the same time. Crumbling pages, stains, tears, a failing binding, and step by step the book comes back. One recent clip shows work on an 1897 edition of Pushkin's "Rusalka". According to TJ, her earlier projects included heavy church books that restorers work on for months.
We like that nothing is rushed. Restoration is a slow craft, and the videos respect that: you see how much patience goes into every page.
Where to start
- Find the 1897 "Rusalka" video, recent and a good showcase.
- Scroll down to older clips for big projects with old books and photographs.
- Play a few in a row with the sound off; it works like meditation.
- For more detail, her profile points to a Telegram channel (in Russian) about a restorer's daily routine.
Who it's for
Anyone who loves old books and antiques, people who unwind by watching handwork, and art students weighing a career in conservation. Language is no barrier here.
Quick answers
Do I need to know Russian? Hardly: there's no narration and captions are short.
Who runs it? Valeria Izmailova, a restorer from a family of restorers, trained at the Suzdal art restoration college.
How often does she post? Not very often. Her own bio says she only posts now and then; the latest video when we checked was from late August 2026.
