  Luminous blue variables (LBVs) are rare objects of very high luminosity and
mass loss rates, low wind velocities, exhibiting strong irregular photometric
and spectral variability. They are generally believed to be a relatively short
evolutionary stage in the life of a massive star, marking the transition from
the Main Sequence toward Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars. However, recent studies
indicate that progenitors of several supernovae underwent LBV-like eruptions.
These studies support the view that at least some LBV stars are the end point
of the evolution but not a transition phase. LBVs are rare objects,
observations of whose in the Galaxy are inevitably connected with difficulties
in determination of the distance and interstellar extinction. Hence, studying
these rare objects in nearby galaxies is potentially more prospective.
Therefore, investigation of the extragalactic star Romano's star (V532 or
GR290) which is now classified as LBV/post-LBV star and shows late-WN spectrum,
is very important for our understanding of evolution of massive stars in
general.
