Svetlana Melnikova was born in 1955 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Graduated from the Vladimir State Pedagogical Institute in 1978.
She has been the General Director of the Pskov State United Historical, Architectural and Art Museum-Reserve since 2021. Honoured Worker of Culture of the Russian Federation, member of the Council for Culture and Art under the President of the Russian Federation, member of the Russian ICOM Committee.