a
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Roman Arkadyevich Abramovich
Entrepreneur / 1966 -
Roman Arkadyevich Abramovich is a Russian business tycoon, one of the richest men in the world and owner of the Chelsea Football Club.
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(1966-)
Entrepreneur
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Isaac Asimov
Writer / 1920 - 1992
Scholar Isaac Asimov was one of the 20th century's most prolific writers, writing in many genres. He was known for sci-fi works like Foundation and I, Robot.
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(1920-1992)
Writer
b
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Isaak Babel
Journalist, Playwright / 1894 - 1940
Isaak Babel was a Russian writer of Jewish descent known for his masterful short stories. He was imprisoned and executed in the Stalin era.
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(1894-1940)
Journalist, Playwright
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Mikhail Bakhtin
Linguist, Philosopher, Scholar, Literary Critic, Academic Author / 1895 - 1975
Mikhail Bakhtin was a Russian literary critic, linguist and philosopher.
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(1895-1975)
Linguist, Philosopher, Scholar, Literary Critic, Academic Author
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George Balanchine
Ballet Dancer, Choreographer / 1904 - 1983
Dancer and choreographer George Balanchine founded the New York City Ballet in 1948. His work is known for its neoclassical style.
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(1904-1983)
Ballet Dancer, Choreographer
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Leonid Ilich Brezhnev
Government Official / 1906 - 1982
Leonid Brezhnev was a Soviet statesman and Communist Party official who was, in effect, the leader of the Soviet Union for 18 years.
See full bio
(1906-1982)
Government Official
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Sergey Brin
Entrepreneur, Computer Programmer, Engineer / 1973 -
Sergey Brin created Google, the world's most popular search engine. Brin and Larry Page, Google's co-creator, still manage the company and are billionaires.
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(1973-)
Entrepreneur, Computer Programmer, Engineer
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Joseph Brodsky
Poet / 1940 - 1994
Russian-born American poet Joseph Brodsky was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1987 for his important lyric and elegiac poems.
See full bio
(1940-1994)
Poet
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Yul Brynner
Film Actor, Theater Actor / 1920 - 1985
Yul Brynner was an actor of stage and screen most famous for portraying King Mongkut of Siam in The King and I.
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(1920-1985)
Film Actor, Theater Actor
c
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Catherine II
Political Leader, Empress / 1729 - 1796
Catherine II was empress of Russia, and led her country into the political and cultural life of Europe, carrying on the work begun by Peter the Great.
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(1729-1796)
Political Leader, Empress
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Marc Chagall
Illustrator, Painter / 1887 - 1985
Marc Chagall was a French artist whose work was generally based on emotional association rather than traditional pictorial fundamentals.
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(1887-1985)
Illustrator, Painter
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Anna Chapman
Spy / 1982 -
Anna Chapman became famous in June 2010, when she was arrested in New York and accused of spying for the Russian government.
See full bio
(1982-)
Spy
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Anton Chekhov
Author, Playwright / 1860 - 1904
Anton Chekhov is best known for his short stories and plays, including The Proposal, The Wedding and The Anniversary.
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(1860-1904)
Author, Playwright
d
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Gala DalĂ
Artist / 1894 - 1982
Gala Dalí is best known as the wife, business manager and muse of Surrealist artist Salvador Dalí.
See full bio
(1894-1982)
Artist
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Nikolay Danilevsky
Philosopher, Academic Author, Journalist / 1822 - 1885
Russian historical philosopher and naturalist Nikolay Danilevsky wanted Russia to establish a cultural identity independent of the West.
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(1822-1885)
Philosopher, Academic Author, Journalist
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Anton Denikin
General / 1872 - 1947
Anton Denikin was Lieutenant General who led the anti-Bolshevik forces (Imperial Russian Army) on the southern front during the Russian Civil War (1918-1920).
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(1872-1947)
General
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Sergei Diaghilev
Critic, Ballet Dancer, Choreographer / 1872 - 1929
Art critic Sergei Diaghilev started the artistic collaboration the Ballet Russes, which toured worldwide and was a forerunner of the Royal Ballet.
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(1872-1929)
Critic, Ballet Dancer, Choreographer
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Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Author / 1821 - 1881
Russian writer Fyodor Dostoyevsky wrote the classics Crime and Punishment and The Brothers Karamazov. His work explored psychology and existentialism.
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(1821-1881)
Author
e
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Elizabeth
Empress / 1709 - 1762
After taking the throne by force, Empress Elizabeth (1709–1762) founded Russia's first university and forged strong ties in Europe.
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(1709-1762)
Empress
f
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Peter Carl Fabergé
Artist / 1846 - 1920
Jeweler Peter Carl Fabergé is best known for his intricately decorated Easter eggs. He made them for Russian royalty such as Alexander III and Nicholas II.
See full bio
(1846-1920)
Artist
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Alexandra Feodorovna
Empress / 1872 - 1918
Alexandra Feodorovna was consort of the Russian Czar Nicholas II. Her rule precipitated the collapse of Russia's imperial government. She was murdered, along with her entire family, in 1918.
See full bio
(1872-1918)
Empress
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Frederick I
King / 1657 - 1713
Frederick I was the first king of Prussia. He ruled from 1701 to 1713 and helped establish Prussia’s cultural significance in Europe.
See full bio
(1657-1713)
King
g
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Yuri Gagarin
Astronaut, Pilot / 1934 - 1968
Yuri Gagarin was a Soviet cosmonaut who in 1961 became the first man to travel into space
See full bio
(1934-1968)
Astronaut, Pilot
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Boris Godunov
Political Leader / 1551 - 1605
Boris Godunov was a Russian statesman who was chief adviser to Tsar Fyodor I and was himself elected tsar after the extinction of the Rurik dynasty.
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(1551-1605)
Political Leader
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Nikolai Gogol
Author / 1809 - 1852
Russian novelist Nikolai Gogol's best-known work is the 1842 novel Dead Souls. A fanatical priest convinced him to burn the second volume in 1852.
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(1809-1852)
Author
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Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev
World Leader, Government Official / 1931 -
Mikhail Gorbachev was the first president of the Soviet Union, serving from 1990 to 1991. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace for contributing to the break-up of the USSR.
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(1931-)
World Leader, Government Official
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Ekaterina Gordeeva
Ice Skater / 1971 -
Ekaterina Gordeeva is a Russian figure skater who, with her late partner and husband Sergei Grinkov, was a two-time Olympian and four-time world champion.
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(1971-)
Ice Skater
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Maxim Gorky
Journalist, Author / 1868 - 1936
Maxim Gorky was a Russian author who wrote about the lower depths of society. He was a critic of both Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin, and died under mysterious circumstances.
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(1868-1936)
Journalist, Author
h
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Vladimir Horowitz
Pianist / 1903 - 1989
Vladimir Horowitz was a Russian pianist who gained an international reputation because of his stunning technique.
See full bio
(1903-1989)
Pianist
i
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Ivan the Terrible
Prince, Tsar / 1530 - 1584
Ivan the Terrible, or Ivan IV, was the first tsar of all Russia. During his reign (1533-1584), Ivan acquired vast amounts of land through ruthless means, creating a centrally controlled government.
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(1530-1584)
Prince, Tsar
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Anna Ivanovna
Duchess, Queen / 1693 - 1740
Anna Ivanovna was empress of Russia from 1730 to 1740.
See full bio
(1693-1740)
Duchess, Queen
k
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Louis I. Kahn
Architect / 1901 - 1974
Louis Kahn was an architect whose buildings made him one of the most discussed architects to emerge after World War II.
See full bio
(1901-1974)
Architect
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Wassily Kandinsky
Educator, Painter, Lawyer / 1866 - 1944
Russian-born painter Wassily Kandinsky is credited as a leader in avant-garde art as one of the founders of pure abstraction in painting in the early 20th century.
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(1866-1944)
Educator, Painter, Lawyer
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Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov
Chess Player / 1951 -
Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov was a Russian chess grandmaster and world champion from 1975-1985.
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(1951-)
Chess Player
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Gary Kasparov
Chess Player / 1963 -
Russian Gary Kasparov became the youngest world chess champion in 1985. He formed the Professional Chess Association with English grandmaster Nigel Short.
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(1963-)
Chess Player
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Nikita Khrushchev
World Leader / 1894 - 1971
Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev publicized Stalin's crimes, initiated the Cuban Missile Crisis and established a more open form of Communism in the USSR.
See full bio
(1894-1971)
World Leader
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Anna Kournikova
Tennis Player, Model, Reality Television Star / 1981 -
Anna Kournikova is a Russian professional tennis player, well known for her beauty. At her peak, she was one of the best known players worldwide.
See full bio
(1981-)
Tennis Player, Model, Reality Television Star
l
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Meyer Lansky
White Collar Criminal, Organized Crime Boss / 1902 - 1983
Meyer Lansky was a Polish American organized crime figure instrumental in the development of the National Crime Syndicate in the United States.
See full bio
(1902-1983)
White Collar Criminal, Organized Crime Boss
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Vladimir Lenin
Political Leader, Political Scientist, Journalist / 1870 - 1924
Vladimir Lenin was founder of the Russian Communist Party, leader of the Bolshevik Revolution and architect and first head of the Soviet state.
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(1870-1924)
Political Leader, Political Scientist, Journalist
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El Lissitzky
Artist / 1890 - 1941
Russian painter, typographer and designer El Lissitzky was a major contributor to the modern Constructivist movement.
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(1890-1941)
Artist
m
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Léonide Massine
Ballet Dancer, Choreographer / 1896 - 1979
Léonide Massine was a ballet dancer, teacher and choreographer. He joined the Ballets Russes in 1914 and produced his first ballet, Midnight Sun, in 1915.
See full bio
(1896-1979)
Ballet Dancer, Choreographer
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Louis B. Mayer
Business Leader, Producer / 1885 - 1957
Louis B. Mayer was a film mogul and the most influential person in Hollywood from the mid-1920s to the late-1940s.
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(1885-1957)
Business Leader, Producer
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Dmitry Medvedev
World Leader / 1965 -
Dmitry Medvedev served under Vladimir Putin and succeeded him as president of Russia in 2008.
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(1965-)
World Leader
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Dmitri Mendeleyev
Academic, Chemist / 1834 - 1907
Dmitri Mendeleyev was a Russian chemist who developed the periodic classification of the elements.
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(1834-1907)
Academic, Chemist
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Élie Metchnikoff
Biologist, Zoologist / 1845 - 1916
Russian zoologist and microbiologist Élie Metchnikoff received a Nobel Prize for his discovery of phagocytosis, amoeba-like cells engulfing foreign bodies.
See full bio
(1845-1916)
Biologist, Zoologist
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Alexis Mikhailovich
Tsar / 1629 - 1676
Alexis Mikhailovich, father of Peter the Great, was tsar of Russia from 1645 to 1676. He passed a code of laws which legally defined serfdom.
See full bio
(1629-1676)
Tsar
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Modest Mussorgsky
Songwriter / 1839 - 1881
Modest Mussorgsky was a 19th century Russian composer. His most famous works include "Night on Bald Mountain," "Boris Godunov" and "Pictures at an Exhibition."
See full bio
(1839-1881)
Songwriter
n
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Vladimir Nabokov
Literary Critic, Journalist, Author, Poet / 1899 - 1977
Vladimir Nabokov was a Russian novelist and critic known for the intricate literary devices employed in such novels as Lolita.
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(1899-1977)
Literary Critic, Journalist, Author, Poet
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Alexei Nikolaevich
Duke, Prince, Tsar / 1904 - 1918
Alexei Nikolaevich was the only son of Nicholas II, the last tsar of Russia, and the tsarina Alexandra. He was killed with his family during the Russian Revolution.
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(1904-1918)
Duke, Prince, Tsar
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Nicholas Nikolaevich
Military Leader / 1856 - 1929
Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich of Russia was commander in chief of Tzar Nicholas II's army during WWI. The Russian Revolution ended his career.
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(1856-1929)
Military Leader
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Anastasia
Duchess / 1901 - 1918
Anastasia was the daughter of the last Russian tsar, Nicholas II. After she and her family were executed, rumors claimed that she might have survived.
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(1901-1918)
Duchess
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Rudolf Nureyev
Ballet Dancer / 1938 - 1993
Famed Russian-born male dancer Rudolf Nureyev was a soloist for the Kirov Ballet and a choreographer for the Paris Opera Ballet.
See full bio
(1938-1993)
Ballet Dancer
o
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Lee Harvey Oswald
Assassin / 1939 - 1963
Lee Harvey Oswald was a former U.S. Marine who was accused of killing President John F. Kennedy. While in police custody, Oswald was murdered by Jack Ruby.
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(1939-1963)
Assassin
p
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Ignacy Paderewski
Songwriter, Pianist, Political Leader / 1860 - 1941
Ignacy Paderewski was a world famous concert pianist who also became Poland’s first prime minister in 1919.
See full bio
(1860-1941)
Songwriter, Pianist, Political Leader
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Boris Pasternak
Author, Poet / 1890 - 1960
Boris Pasternak was a Russian novelist and poet who wrote the epic Dr. Zhivago.
See full bio
(1890-1960)
Author, Poet
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Paul I of Russia
Emperor / 1754 - 1801
Paul I of Russia served as the nation's emperor for a brief, tyrannical five years before he was assassinated 1801.
See full bio
(1754-1801)
Emperor
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Ivan Petrovich Pavlov
Surgeon, Scientist / 1849 - 1936
Russian physiologist Ivan Petrovich Pavlov studied "conditioned reflex" through an experiment that made hungry dogs salivate at the sound of a dinner bell.
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(1849-1936)
Surgeon, Scientist
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Anna Pavlova
Ballet Dancer, Choreographer / 1881 - 1931
Anna Pavlova was a famous Russian prima ballerina and choreographer. The company she founded in 1911 was the first to tour ballet around the world.
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(1881-1931)
Ballet Dancer, Choreographer
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Peter III
Emperor / 1728 - 1762
Peter III was the Emperor of Russia for a mere six months in 1762 before he was overthrown by his wife, Catherine the Great, and assassinated in 1762.
See full bio
(1728-1762)
Emperor
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Peter the Great
Political Leader, Tsar / 1672 - 1725
Peter the Great was a Russian czar in the late 17th century, who is best known for his extensive reforms in an attempt to establish Russia as a great nation.
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(1672-1725)
Political Leader, Tsar
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Alexei Petrovich
Royalty / 1690 - 1718
Alexei Petrovich was the son of Peter the Great and heir to the Russian throne. He was sentenced to death by his father.
See full bio
(1690-1718)
Royalty
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Alexander Pichushkin
Serial Killer / 1974 -
Russian serial killer Alexander Pichushkin, nicknamed "The Chessboard Killer," was caught in Moscow and convicted in 2007 of killing 48 people.
See full bio
(1974-)
Serial Killer
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Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin
Author, Poet / 1799 - 1837
Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin is a Russian poet an fiction writer who is considered the founder of modern Russian literature.
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(1799-1837)
Author, Poet
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Vladimir Putin
World Leader, Prime Minister / 1952 -
Vladimir Putin served as president of Russia from 2000 to 2008, and was re-elected to the presidency in 2012. He previously served as Russia's prime minister.
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(1952-)
World Leader, Prime Minister
r
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Rasputin
Religious Leader / 1869 - 1916
Rasputin is best known for his role as a mystical adviser in the court of Czar Nicholas II of Russia.
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(1869-1916)
Religious Leader
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Nicholas II
Tsar / 1868 - 1918
Nicholas II was the last tsar of Russia under Romanov rule. His poor handling of Bloody Sunday and Russia’s role in World War I led to his abdication and execution.
See full bio
(1868-1918)
Tsar
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Mark Rothko
1903 - 1970
Russian-born painter Mark Rothko was a pioneer of the Abstract Expressionist movement during the mid-20th century.
See full bio
(1903-1970)
s
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Sergey Eisenstein
Director / 1898 - 1948
Sergey Eisenstein was a pioneering Soviet Russian film director and film theorist, often considered to be the "Father of Montage."
See full bio
(1898-1948)
Director
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Maria Sharapova
Tennis Player / 1987 -
Maria Sharapova has won various honors throughout her career, including the 2012 French Open and a silver medal in women's singles at the 2012 Olympics.
See full bio
(1987-)
Tennis Player
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Dmitry Shostakovich
Songwriter / 1906 - 1975
Dmitry Shostakovich was a Russian composer, renowned particularly for his 15 symphonies, numerous chamber works, and concerti.
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(1906-1975)
Songwriter
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Alexander Solzhenitsyn
Educator, Activist, Journalist, Author / 1918 - 2008
Alexander Solzhenitsyn was a Russian novelist and historian, who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1970.
See full bio
(1918-2008)
Educator, Activist, Journalist, Author
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Joseph Stalin
Dictator / 1878 - 1953
Joseph Stalin ruled the Soviet Union for more than two decades, instituting a reign of terror while modernizing Russia and helping to defeat Nazism.
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(1878-1953)
Dictator
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Constantin Stanislavski
Theater Actor / 1863 - 1938
Constantin Stanislavski was a Russian stage actor and director who developed the naturalistic performance technique known as the "Stanislavsky method," or method acting.
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(1863-1938)
Theater Actor
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Lee Strasberg
Educator / 1901 - 1982
Theater director Lee Strasberg co-founded the Group Theatre, where he directed experimental plays, and later became artistic director of the Actors Studio.
See full bio
(1901-1982)
Educator
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Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky
Songwriter, Conductor, Pianist / 1882 - 1971
Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky was a Russian composer best known as one of the most influential composers in the twentieth century for ballets such as The Firebird, Petrushka and The Rite of Spring.
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(1882-1971)
Songwriter, Conductor, Pianist
t
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Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Songwriter
Pytor Tchaikovsky was a Russian composer best known for his popular ballets Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker.
See full bio
Songwriter
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Leo Tolstoy
Author / 1828 - 1910
Russian author Leo Tolstoy wrote the acclaimed novels War and Peace, Anna Karenina and The Death of Ivan Ilyich, and still ranks among the world's top writers.
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(1828-1910)
Author
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Leon Trotsky
Activist, Political Leader / 1879 - 1940
Communist Leon Trotsky helped ignite the Russian Revolution of 1917, and built the Red Army afterward. He was exiled and later assassinated by Soviet agents.
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(1879-1940)
Activist, Political Leader
v
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Boris Vasilyevich Spassky
Chess Player / 1937 -
Boris Vasilyevich Spassky is a Russian chess master who attained the rank of international grand master in 1955.
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(1937-)
Chess Player
y
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Boris Yeltsin
World Leader / 1931 - 2007
Boris Yeltsin was the first freely elected President of Russia. He voluntarily resigned from the post after nine years, leaving the job to Putin.
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(1931-2007)
World Leader
z
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Abraham Zapruder
Business Leader, Filmmaker / 1905 - 1970
With his home film camera, Dallas businessman Abraham Zapruder recorded the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963. This footage is one of the few films of this historic event.
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(1905-1970)
Business Leader, Filmmaker