Over a long history in Russia there were many personalities whose names entered in the annals of the country in red letters. Prominent rulers, artists, travelers, generals, heroes, athletes - all of them deserve to be on the list of “Famous People of Russia”. However, there are too many such names, and it is extremely difficult, or rather, practically impossible, to compile a complete list. Therefore, each of the authors tries to enter the names of celebrities in it, based on various criteria, taking as a basis some specific principle. Having analyzed the pages of Russian history, we tried to compile a list of the great ones by their recognition outside our country.
The most famous rulers of pre-Soviet Russia
Initially, the Russian state did not have sole rulers. Each city had its own prince, who considered himself master. Among these feudal lords were those who could stand out more than others. Therefore, the list of “Most Famous People of Russia” begins precisely with the names of some of these elders, for example, Prince Oleg, Igor, Vladimir the Red Sun, in which Kievan Rus adopted the Christian faith, Yaroslav the Wise, etc. I would like to add to this list the name of the Grand Russian Princess Olga, the wife of Igor Rurikovich. Also quite famous personalities are Vladimir Monomakh and his son Yuri Dolgoruky. And what about Alexander Nevsky? The prince of Novgorod, who became famous thanks to the victory over the Swedes in the Battle of the Neva. A century later, another Russian Prince Dmitry Donskoy became famous in the Battle of Kulikovo. Fourth Ivan, nicknamed for his temper Grozny, is one of the most iconic figures in Russian history. In addition to this, he was “glorified” as the king-son-killer, and, of course, that he could not do without compiling the list of “Famous People of Russia”. Here you also need to enter the name of the reformer king, who “cut a huge window into Europe”, Peter the Great (First). After him, for almost two centuries, the country was mainly ruled by women: Catherine the First, Elizaveta Petrovna, Anna Ioannovna, Anna Leopoldovna, the Great Empress Catherine the Second. Then Russia was again ruled by the kings: Alexander the First, Nikolai the First, Alexandra the Second and Third, and others. The last Russian emperor was Nikolai the Second, who became a victim of communist terror.
Great favorites
It so happened that the Russian rulers gave great powers to their favorites. So, for example, under Peter the Great, one of the highest positions in the state was occupied by a certain Alexander Menshikov, a peasant by birth. As for the queens, then, in general, they were surrounded by a whole army of favorites, the most persistent of whom began to rule the state instead of royalty, having received the ranks of ministers and chancellors. Naryshkin, Shuvalov, Biron, Grigory Orlov, Grigory Potemkin and others - all these names can also occupy places in the list of “famous people of Russia”, since their role in government is simply enormous. The last favorite of the Russian throne was the healer and healer Grigory Rasputin. He had unlimited power over the Empress Maria Fedorovna, because he was treating her sick son - the heir to the throne.
Leaders and first secretaries of the Communist Party of the USSR - famous people of Russia in the 20th century
The beginning of the twentieth century was marked by events unprecedented in their significance - the fall of the Russian Empire as a result of the revolution, as well as the beginning of the First World War. At this time, Vladimir Lenin was considered the most famous person not only in Russia, but throughout the world. Later, the Great Leader of the Nations, Joseph Stalin, who was considered the victor of the Second World War, gained no less popularity. Nikita Khrushchev also managed to distinguish himself from Soviet leaders abroad, whose eccentric trick in the UN assembly hall simply shocked the whole of Western society, well, Mikhail Gorbachev, the first president of the USSR, who contributed to the “redrawing” of all of Europe and forever wrote his name on the pages world history. You can also see some photos of famous people of Russia that are mentioned in this article in the text.
Famous Russian artists
Our people have always been famous for their creativity. A great many writers and poets, composers and artists, architects, playwrights and artists, singers and dancers, etc. form part of the world's art treasury. Among poets and writers, Pushkin, Lermontov, Derzhavin, Tolstoy, Chekhov, Dostoevsky, Bunin and others occupy a special place. Of the composers, Tchaikovsky, Rakhmaninov, Rimsky-Korsakov, Shostakovich and others are especially popular. Konstantin Stanislavsky is still considered one of the most bright figures in the development of modern theater art. Well, the famous ballet dancers and dancers Anna Pavlova, Maya Plisetskaya, Galina Ulanova, Mikhail Fokin glorified Russian ballet all over the world.
Famous people of Russia of the 21st century
21st century - the century of globalization. The Internet, satellite television, the ability to easily tour from one end of the world to the other, have made the names of many Russian artists, athletes, politicians, etc. more recognizable outside their own country. Of course, the most famous Russian of our day is none other than the President of the Russian Federation - Vladimir Putin. Quite famous personalities are also some oligarchs: Abramovich, Berezovsky, Khodorkovsky, Usmanov and others.
The most famous people of Russia of our time are also the diva of the Russian stage Alla Pugacheva, the famous film directors-brothers Andrei Konchalovsky and Nikita Mikhalkov, the famous conductor and violinist Spivakov, the singers Lyubov Kazarnovskaya and Anna Netrebko, the ballet dancers Tsiskaridze, Volochkova, Liepa and others.
