A fine art specialist and museum researcher, Lesia Tolstova currently works at the National Art Museum of Ukraine, Kyiv. She holds the position of Deputy Director for Scientific Affairs. 

Tolstova has participated in a number of projects for the promotion and preservation of Ukrainian fine art, including exhibitions, lectures and publications. Her research interests focus on the Kyiv Drawing School (1875–1901) and Kyiv artists at the turn of 19th century. Her publications feature Ukrainian artists such as Mykola Murashko, Hryhoriy Diadchenko, Serhiy Vasylkivskyi, Ivan Selezniov, Petro Nilus, Kyriak Kostandi and others. 

Tolstova is a member of the Ukrainian Scholar Library editorial board.

See also “Painting Ukrainian Life: the Captivating Art of Mykola Pymonenko”.