What kind of people is Russia famous for? Outstanding citizens of Russia: list, biographies, interesting facts and achievements

Russia is a country that has its heroes who are known throughout the world. People who glorified their country worked in all fields of activity. Among them were managers, military men, historians, engineers, doctors and many others. And it is almost impossible to list them all. But still, some of them are worth knowing.

Development of culture

Remembering Russia, one cannot help but remember those who still leave an imprint on the soul. Writers, artists and architects whose names are known throughout the world. Poems, poems, huge volumes and small quatrains, which can be re-read many times. The whole world knows such people as Lermontov, Tolstoy, Yesenin, Pushkin, Akhmatova, Mayakovsky, Tsvetaeva, Blok, and many others.

Construction in Russia is an art with its own history. Very often architects were invited to Russia from... But the country also had its own talents. Alexey Shchusev, an architect who mainly deals with churches and chapels, who was not afraid of experiments, ensured his eternal memory by designing the Mausoleum. Another equally famous architect is Mikhail Zemtsov. He worked in St. Petersburg, working on important projects on behalf of Peter I himself.

Russian artists are known not only within the country, but throughout the world in all circles. Repin, Levitan, Aivazovsky, Kramskoy, Vasnetsov and many others became famous thanks to their works. Their paintings still attract a huge number of spectators who want to see priceless paintings.

Management and military industry

Thanks to the efforts of princes and kings, Russia became what it is. The entire line of Rurikovichs, Godunovs, Romanovs, Lenin and Stalin. A huge number of people tried to develop the country while at the head of state. Their activities are related to solving internal and external issues, issuing decrees and laws, all this made them famous.

The military power of the country has also been known by countries for a long time. Many victories, a large number of wars, gave the country its Heroes. Donskoy, Nevsky, Zhukovsky, Peter I and Catherine II, Ushakov, Kutuzov and others are famous throughout the world thanks to their victories in battles.

Discoveries and inventions

Various discoveries and inventions made under the leadership of Russian scientists affected almost all areas of activity. It’s impossible to list all the scientists. But it is worth mentioning such people as Mendeleev, Botkin, Pirogov, Popov, Sikorsky, Yakovlev, Mechnikov, Kovalevskaya. Without these people, many areas of activity would not be able to move to a new stage of development so quickly.

Trips

Many discoveries in the region appeared thanks to the Russian people. Przhevalsky and Derzhnev, Lazarev and Kruzenshtern invested their efforts in invaluable and priceless research of the world. This also includes people like Gagarin and Tereshkova, who became the pioneers of outer space.

Nobody in the world knows Soviet and Russian pop musicians. Especially in the West. Nevertheless, musicians from Russia entered the Western charts at different times.

All attempts to promote and impose our popular music on the Western public have failed. Russian pop music is very secondary and backward - both technologically and stylistically.

But it has already become a good tradition to tell the Russian public lies about the successes of certain performers in the West. It's getting really funny.

Kirkorov traveled to Monte Carlo for The World Music Awards - a show of the best-selling performers in their countries, but it is quite difficult to find a person in Russia who has Kirkorov's album. Pugacheva, as you know, in 1997 took only 15 place out of 25 at the useless Eurovision.

For some reason, Sergei Lazarev sings in English, something the human brain simply cannot handle. Joseph Prigogine, who became an obsession with pushing Valeria to the West, once said in a paid article in a British newspaper that his wife had sold 100 million albums in Russia.

The rapper Timati had the biggest success when the Swiss DJ Antoine remixed Timati's song Welcome to St. Tropez. The song topped the charts all over the world, except for the UK and the US. In Switzerland, the song took sixth place at the end of the year. This is the peak for our pop singers in recent times.

Which of our musicians actually achieved high places in the Western (and this, in a musical sense, primarily the USA and Great Britain) charts and is generally more or less known in the West.

1. Composer Aram Khachaturian - 1972

One of the recordings of the music from his ballet “Spartacus,” called Spartacus, which Khachaturian made together with the London Symphony Orchestra, entered the British album chart in 1972, reached number 16 and stayed there for 15 weeks.

By the way, his music is so popular in the world that it was even used in such famous films as “2001: A Space Odyssey” by Stanley Kubrick, “Aliens” by James Cameron and “Caligula” by Tinto Brass.

2. Boris Grebenshchikov - 1989

His album Radio Silence, released in England and the USA, took 198th place on the Billboard200, despite the fact that it was recorded with the then super-popular group Eurythmics. The video shows BG's performance on David Letterman's popular TV show.

3. Gorky Park-1990

The success of Gorky Park in the USA cannot be exaggerated. They did not conquer America. Just look at their achievements on the charts. On the Billboard Hot 100 they only scored with the single Try To Find Me (81st place and 6 weeks on the chart), and on the Billboard 200 with the album Gorky Park (80th place and 21 weeks on the chart).

But Gorky Park generally sold well - 300 thousand copies sold in America alone - this is a very good result. The group achieved much greater success in Scandinavia. Gorky Park in Norway reached 9th place, and the single Bang - 5th. In Denmark, the album Moscow Calling It even went platinum.

4. Alsou-2000

With the song Before You Love Me "under Britney Spears" she got to 27th place for only a week, during the period when they were trying to promote it in Europe after 2nd place at Eurovision.

5. PPK-2001

The Rostov trance project PPK, with the release of a separate single ResuRection (Eduard Artemyev’s melody from the film “Sibiriyada” by Andrei Konchalovsky with the voice of Yuri Gagarin), debuted in the UK immediately in third place!

The song became the first track from Russia to be in hot rotation on BBC Radio One. ResuRection was then released in other countries, where it also charted successfully - number 5 in the Netherlands, number 9 in Belgium, and number 15 in France and number 36 in Australia.

6. Tattoo-2003

In 2002, the English version of their album “200 in the opposite direction” was released and “Tatu” generally became the most popular Russian group in the world. The girls did not become stars of the first magnitude, and their success was not that long, but they sold about 10 million of their records abroad. This is an unattainable result for Russian performers.

The English-language album now has gold status in four countries and platinum in Europe as a whole, the song “All the Things She Said” occupied the first line of the British chart for several weeks, and a cover of The Smiths was performed in the TV series “Gossip Girl” in 2009.

7. Leonid Agutin - 2007

The author of “Barefoot Boy” and husband of Angelika Varum graduated from the Moscow Jazz School and from his youth was interested not only in pop music, but also in a variety of acoustic guitar music - from jazz to flamenco. In the early 2000s, Agutin began playing concerts, and then recorded the album “Cosmopolitan Life” together with Al di Meola, an American virtuoso of the genre. In Germany the album had more than good sales.

8. Eduard Khil - 2009

A well-known, sad and beautiful story, due to which the great pop singer is known in the world as “Mr. Trololo”. On November 26, 2009, user RealPapaPit posted on YouTube the vocalization “I’m very happy, because I’m finally returning home” - today this video has 19 million 700 thousand views.

They say that the singer was even offered an international tour - but he refused. Both Gawker and The New York Times wrote about Gil's death.

9. Pussy Riot-2012

This is the only group here that has not been on the Western charts, but it cannot be ignored. From a musical point of view, this is a comical story. The group, whose songs no one had ever really heard anywhere, became the most famous musical group from Russia in recent times. Suffice it to say that in the West the Cathedral of Christ the Savior is known as the Pussy Riot Church.

Soon after the arrest of Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Maria Alekhina and Ekaterina Samutsevich, musicians around the world began to carry out actions in their support - ranging from Madonna and Paul McCartney to Mike Patton and The Knife and Die Antwoord.

10. Anna Netrebko - 2007 - present

The opera singer was able to achieve real world fame, including the United States. She enjoys particular success in Austria, where she received citizenship. Also lives in New York. Her recordings are constantly on the classical music charts, but in some countries they also appear on the general music charts. Especially in Austria and Germany. Thus, 15 of Netrebko’s albums entered the Austrian chart .

Bonus: The most famous Russian music video in the world

The bloody viral hit “Bad Motherfucker” from the Russian group Biting Elbows, filmed in first person and therefore more reminiscent of an action video game than a music video. The clip was publicly celebrated by Samuel L. Jackson and Darren Aronofsky. 24.6 million views on Youtube.

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Who do you consider the most worthy example and inspiration for yourself personally? Martin Luther King Jr., Yuri Gagarin or maybe your grandfather? Our world took several millennia to form, and many historical figures took part in this difficult process, who made their invaluable contribution to science, culture and many other spheres of life, both in their countries and in all of humanity. It is very difficult and almost impossible to select those whose influence was most significant. However, the authors of this list still decided to try and collect in one publication the most inspiring personalities in the history of world civilizations. Some of them are known to everyone, others are not known to everyone, but they all have one thing in common - these people changed our world for the better. From the Dalai Lama to Charles Darwin, here are 25 of the most outstanding figures in history!

25. Charles Darwin

A famous British traveler, naturalist, geologist and biologist, Charles Darwin is most famous for his theory, which changed the understanding of human nature and the development of the world in all its diversity. Darwin's theory of evolution and natural selection suggests that all species, including humans, are descended from common ancestors, a concept that shocked the scientific community at the time. Darwin published The Theory of Evolution with some examples and evidence in his revolutionary book On the Origin of Species in 1859, and since then our world and the way we understand it have changed greatly.

24. Tim Berners-Lee


Photo: Paul Clarke

Tim Berners-Lee is a British engineer, inventor and computer scientist best known as the creator of the World Wide Web. Sometimes called the "Father of the Internet", Berners-Lee developed the first hypertext web browser, web server and web editor. The technologies of this outstanding scientist spread worldwide and forever changed the way information is generated and processed.

23. Nicholas Winton


Photo: cs:User:Li-sung

Nicholas Winton was a British philanthropist, and since the late 1980s he has become best known for smuggling 669 Jewish children out of Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia just before World War II. Winton transported all these children to British orphanages, and some of them even managed to be placed in families, which definitely saved them all from inevitable death in concentration camps or during the bombings. The philanthropist organized as many as 8 trains from Prague and also took children out of Vienna, but using other modes of transport. The Englishman never sought fame, and for 49 years he kept his heroic deed a secret. In 1988, Winton’s wife discovered a notebook with notes from 1939 and the addresses of the families who took in young Salvationists. Since then, recognition, orders and awards have fallen upon him. Nicholas Winton died at the age of 106 in 2015.

22. Buddha Shakyamuni (Gautama Buddha)


Photo: Max Pixel

Also known as Siddhartha Gautama (from birth), Tathagata (the comer) or Bhagavan (the blessed one), Shakyamuni Buddha (the awakened sage of the Shakya lineage) was the spiritual leader and founder of Buddhism, one of the world's three leading religions. Buddha was born in the 6th century BC into a royal family and lived in absolute isolation and luxury. As the prince grew older, he left his family and all his property to plunge into self-discovery and seek to rid humanity of suffering. After several years of meditation and contemplation, Gautama achieved enlightenment and became the Buddha. Through his teachings, Shakyamuni Buddha influenced the lives of millions of people around the world.

21. Rosa Parks

Photo: wikimedia commons

Also known as the "First Lady of Civil Rights" and the "Mother of the Freedom Movement," Rosa Parks was a true pioneer and founder of the black civil rights movement in 1950s Alabama, which was still heavily segregated by race. In 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, a courageous African-American woman and passionate civil rights activist, Rosa Parks, refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger, disobeying the driver's orders. Her rebellious act provoked other blacks into what was later called the legendary "Montgomery Bus Boycott." This boycott lasted 381 days and became one of the key events in the history of the black civil rights movement in the United States.

20. Henry Dunant

Photo: ICRC

A successful Swiss entrepreneur and active public figure, Henri Dunant became the first person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 1901. During a business trip in 1859, Dunant encountered the terrible consequences of the Battle of Solferino (Italy), where the troops of Napoleon, the Kingdom of Sardinia and the Austrian Empire under the leadership of Franz Joseph I clashed, and the troops were left to die on the battlefield. almost 9 thousand wounded. In 1863, in response to the horrors of war and the brutality of the battle he saw, the entrepreneur founded the well-known International Committee of the Red Cross. The Geneva Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded, adopted in 1864, was also based on ideas expressed by Henri Dunant.

19. Simon Bolivar

Photo: wikimedia commons

Also known as the Libertador, Simon Bolivar was a prominent Venezuelan military and political leader who played a key role in the liberation of six countries in South and Central America - Venezuela, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Panama - from Spanish rule. Bolivar was born into a wealthy aristocratic family, but he devoted most of his life to military campaigns and the fight for the independence of the Spanish colonies in America. The country of Bolivia, by the way, was named in honor of this hero and liberator.

18. Albert Einstein

Photo: wikimedia commons

Albert Einstein is one of the most respected and influential scientists of all time. This outstanding theoretical physicist, Nobel laureate and public figure-humanist gave the world over 300 scientific works on physics and about 150 books and articles on history, philosophy and other humanitarian areas. His whole life was full of interesting research, revolutionary ideas and theories, which later became fundamental for modern science. Einstein was most famous for his Theory of Relativity, and thanks to this work he became one of the greatest personalities in human history. Even after almost a century, this Theory continues to influence the thinking of the modern scientific community working to create a Theory of Everything (or Unified Field Theory).

17. Leonardo da Vinci


Photo: wikimedia commons

It is difficult to describe and list all the areas in which Leonardo da Vinci, a man who changed the whole world with his mere existence, succeeded. Over the course of his entire life, this Italian genius of the Renaissance managed to achieve unprecedented heights in painting, architecture, music, mathematics, anatomy, engineering, and many other areas. Da Vinci is recognized as one of the most versatile and talented people to ever live on our planet, and he is the author of such revolutionary inventions as the parachute, helicopter, tank and scissors.

16. Christopher Columbus

Photo: wikimedia commons

The famous Italian explorer, traveler and colonizer, Christopher Columbus was not the first European to sail to America (after all, the Vikings had been here before him). However, his voyages gave rise to an entire era of the most outstanding discoveries, conquests and colonizations, which continued for several centuries after his death. Columbus's travels to the New World greatly influenced the development of geography of those times, because at the beginning of the 15th century people still believed that the Earth was flat and that there were no more lands beyond the Atlantic.

15. Martin Luther King Jr.


Photo: wikimedia commons

This is one of the most influential personalities of the 20th century. Martin Luther King Jr. is best known for his peaceful movement against discrimination, racial segregation and for the civil rights of black Americans, for which he even received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. Martin Luther King was a Baptist preacher and powerful speaker who inspired millions of people around the world to fight for democratic freedoms and their rights. He played a key role in promoting civil rights through peaceful protests based on Christian faith and the philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi.

14. Bill Gates

Photo: DFID – UK Department for International Development

The founder of the legendary multinational company Microsoft, Bill Gates was considered the richest person in the world for almost 20 years. Recently, however, Gates has become known primarily as a generous philanthropist rather than for his success in business and in the information technology market. At one time, Bill Gates stimulated the development of the personal computer market, making computers accessible to the simplest users, which is exactly what he wanted. Now he is passionate about the idea of ​​​​providing Internet access to the whole world. Gates is also working on projects dedicated to combating global warming and combating gender discrimination.

William Shakespeare is considered one of the greatest writers and playwrights in the English language, and he has had a profound influence on a galaxy of literary figures, as well as millions of readers around the world. In addition, Shakespeare introduced about 2,000 new words, most of which are still in use in modern English. With his works, the national poet of England has inspired a great many composers, artists and film directors from all over the world.

12. Sigmund Freud

Photo: wikimedia commons

Austrian neurologist and founder of the science of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud is famous precisely for his unique research into the mysterious world of the human subconscious. With them, he forever changed the way we evaluate ourselves and the people around us. Freud's work influenced 20th-century psychology, sociology, medicine, art, and anthropology, and his therapeutic techniques and theories in psychoanalysis are still studied and practiced today.

11. Oskar Schindler

Photo: wikimedia commons

Oskar Schindler was a German entrepreneur, Nazi Party member, spy, womanizer and drinker. None of this sounds very appealing and certainly doesn't sound like the characteristics of a real hero. However, despite all of the above, Schindler deservedly made it onto this list, because during the Holocaust and World War II, this man saved about 1,200 Jews, rescuing them from death camps to work in his factories. The heroic story of Oskar Schindler has been told in many books and films, but the most famous adaptation was Steven Spielberg's 1993 film Schindler's List.

10. Mother Teresa

Photo: wikimedia commons

A Catholic nun and missionary, Mother Teresa devoted almost her entire life to serving the poor, sick, disabled and orphans. She founded the charitable movement and women's monastic congregation “Missionary Sisters of Love” (Congregatio Sororum Missionarium Caritatis), which exists in almost all countries of the world (in 133 countries as of 2012). In 1979, Mother Teresa became a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, and 19 years after her death (in 2016) she was canonized by Pope Francis himself.

9. Abraham Lincoln

Photo: wikimedia commons

Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States and one of the most influential figures in American history. Coming from a poor farming family, Lincoln fought for the reunification of the country during the Civil War between the North and the South, strengthened the federal government, modernized the American economy, but he earned his reputation as an outstanding historical figure primarily for his contribution to the development of a democratic society and the fight against slavery and oppression black population of the USA. Abraham Lincoln's legacy continues to shape the American people today.

8. Stephen Hawking


Photo: Lwp Kommunikáció / flickr

Stephen Hawking is one of the most famous and respected scientists in the world, and he has made invaluable contributions to the development of science (especially cosmology and theoretical physics). The work of this British researcher and ardent popularizer of science is also impressive because Hawking made almost all of his discoveries in spite of a rare and slowly progressing degenerative disease. The first signs of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis appeared in his student years, and now the great scientist is completely paralyzed. However, severe illness and paralysis did not prevent Hawking from marrying twice, becoming the father of two sons, flying in zero gravity, writing many books, becoming one of the founders of quantum cosmology and the winner of a whole collection of prestigious awards, medals and orders.

7. Unknown rebel


Photo: HiMY SYeD / flickr

This is the conventional name given to an unknown man who independently held back a column of tanks for half an hour during the protests in Tiananmen Square (Tiananmen, China) in 1989. In those days, hundreds of protesters, most of whom were ordinary students, died in clashes with the military. The identity and fate of the unknown rebel remains unknown, but the photograph has become an international symbol of courage and peaceful resistance.

6. Muhammad

Photo: wikimedia commons

Muhammad was born in 570 AD in the city of Mecca (Mecca, modern Saudi Arabia). He is considered a Muslim prophet and the founder of the Islamic religion. Being not only a preacher, but also a politician, Muhammad united all the Arab peoples of those times into a single Muslim empire, which conquered most of the Arabian Peninsula. The author of the Qur'an started out with a few followers, but eventually his teachings and practices formed the basis of the Islamic religion, which is now the second most popular religion in the world, with some 1.8 billion believers.

5. The 14th Dalai Lama


Photo: wikimedia commons

The 14th Dalai Lama, or by birth Lhamo Thondup, is a 1989 Nobel Peace Prize laureate and a renowned preacher of Buddhist philosophy of peace, professing respect for all life on Earth and calling for the harmonious coexistence of man and nature. The former spiritual and political leader of Tibet in exile, the 14th Dalai Lama always tried to find a compromise and sought reconciliation with the Chinese authorities who invaded Tibet with territorial claims. In addition, Lhamo Dhondrub is a passionate supporter of the women's rights movement, interfaith dialogues and advocates for solving global environmental problems.

4. Princess Diana


Photo: Auguel

Also known as “Lady Di” and “the people’s princess,” Princess Diana captured the hearts of millions around the world with her philanthropy, hard work and sincerity. She devoted most of her short life to helping those in need in third world countries. The Queen of Hearts, as she was also known, founded the movement to end the production and use of anti-personnel mines, and was actively involved in several dozen humanitarian campaigns and non-profit organizations, including the Red Cross, London's Great Ormond Street Hospital and AIDS research. Lady Di died at the age of 36 from injuries received in a car accident.

3. Nelson Mandela


Photo: Library of the London School of Economics and Political Science

Nelson Mandela was a South African politician, philanthropist, revolutionary, reformer, passionate advocate for human rights during apartheid (policy of racial segregation) and President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He had a profound influence on the history of South Africa and the world. Mandela spent almost 27 years in prison for his beliefs, but he did not lose faith in the liberation of his people from the oppression of the authorities, and after leaving prison he achieved democratic elections, as a result of which he became the first black president of South Africa. His tireless work to peacefully end the apartheid regime and establish democracy inspired millions of people around the world. In 1993, Nelson Mandela won the Nobel Peace Prize.

2. Jeanne d'Arc

Photo: wikimedia commons

Also known as the Maid of Orleans, Joan of Arc is the greatest heroine in French history and one of the most famous women in world history. She was born into a poor farming family in 1412 and believed that she was chosen by God to lead France to victory in the Hundred Years' War with England. The girl died before the end of the war, but her courage, passion and devotion to her goal (especially during the siege of Orleans) caused a long-awaited moral upsurge and inspired the entire French army to the final victory in the protracted and seemingly hopeless confrontation with the British. Unfortunately, in battle, the Maid of Orleans was captured by her enemies, condemned by the Inquisition and burned at the stake at the age of 19.

1. Jesus Christ

Photo: wikimedia commons

Jesus Christ is the central figure of the Christian religion, and He has had such a profound impact on our world that He is often called the most influential and inspiring person in human history. Compassion, love for others, sacrifice, humility, repentance and forgiveness, which Jesus called for in His sermons and personal example, were concepts completely opposite to the values ​​of ancient civilizations during His life on Earth. Yet today there are approximately 2.4 billion followers of His teachings and Christian faith in the world.

Over the centuries-old history of Russia, there have been many personalities whose names are included in the chronicles of the country in red letters. Outstanding rulers, artists, travelers, generals, heroes, athletes - they all deserve to be on the list of “Famous People of Russia”. Odanko there are too many such names, and compiling a complete list is extremely difficult, or rather, practically impossible. Therefore, each of the authors tries to enter the names of celebrities into it, based on various criteria, taking as a basis a certain principle. After analyzing the pages of Russian history, we tried to compile a list of the great ones according to their recognition outside our country.

Initially, the Russian state did not have individual rulers. Each city had its own prince, who considered himself a ruler. Among these feudal lords there were those who were able to stand out more than others. Therefore, the list of “The most famous people of Russia” begins with the names of some of these rulers, for example, Prince Oleg, Igor, under whom Kievan Rus adopted the Christian faith, Yaroslav the Wise, etc. I would also like to add to this list the name of the Grand Russian Duchess Olga, wife. Also quite famous personalities are Vladimir Monomakh and his son Yuri Dolgoruky. And Alexander Nevsky? Novgorod prince, who became famous thanks to his 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. Ivan the Fourth, nicknamed the Terrible for his temper, is one of the most iconic figures in Russian history. In addition, he “became famous” as a son-killer tsar, and, naturally, it is impossible to do without him when compiling a list of “Famous People of Russia”. Here you also need to enter the name of the reformer tsar who “cut a huge window into Europe,” Peter the Great (the First). After him, for almost two centuries, the country was mainly ruled by female persons: Catherine the First, Elizaveta Petrovna, Anna Ioannovna, Anna Leopoldovna, Great Empress Catherine the Second. Then the tsars began to rule Russia again: Nicholas the First, Alexander the Second and the Third, etc. The last Russian emperor was Nicholas the Second, who became a victim of communist terror.

Great favorites

It so happened that 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, they were generally surrounded by a whole army of favorites, the most persistent of whom began to rule the state instead of royalty, receiving the ranks of ministers and chancellors. Naryshkin, Shuvalov, Biron, Grigory Orlov, etc. - all these names can also occupy places in the list of “famous people of Russia”, since their role in governing the state is simply colossal. The last favorite of the Russian throne was the healer and healer Grigory Rasputin. He had unlimited power over Empress Maria Feodorovna, since he treated 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 of unprecedented significance - the fall of the Russian Empire as a result of the revolution, as well as the beginning of the First World War. During this period, Vladimir Lenin was considered the most famous person not only in Russia, but throughout the world. Later, the “Great Leader of Nations” Joseph Stalin, who was considered the winner of World War II, gained no less popularity. Of the Soviet leaders abroad, Nikita Khrushchev also managed to distinguish himself, whose eccentric antics in the hall of the UN Assembly simply shocked the entire Western society, and 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 creative potential. A great many writers and poets, composers and artists, architects, playwrights and actors, singers and dancers, etc. form part of the world's treasury of art. Among poets and writers, a special place is occupied by Pushkin, Lermontov, Derzhavin, Tolstoy, Chekhov, Dostoevsky, Bunin and others. Of the composers, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Rimsky-Korsakov, Shostakovich and others are especially popular. Konstantin Stanislavsky is still considered one of the most prominent figures in the development of modern theatrical art. Well, the famous ballet dancers Maya Plisetskaya and Galina Ulanova glorified Russian ballet throughout the world.

Famous people of Russia of the 21st century

The 21st century is the century of globalization. The Internet, satellite television, the ability to easily tour from one end of the world to the other have made names for many Russian artists, athletes, politicians, etc. more recognizable outside their country. Of course, the most famous Russian of our days is none other than the President of the Russian Federation - Vladimir Putin. Some oligarchs are also quite famous personalities: Abramovich, Berezovsky, Khodorkovsky, Usmanov, etc.

The most famous people of Russia of our time are also the prima donna of the Russian stage Alla Pugacheva, famous directors-brothers Andrei Konchalovsky and Nikita Mikhalkov, the famous conductor and violinist Spivakov, singers Lyubov Kazarnovskaya and Anna Netrebko, ballet dancers Tsiskaridze, Volochkova, Liepa, etc.

Conclusion

There are a great many famous names among the sons and daughters of Russia. Among them are world-famous scientists, for example Lomonosov and Mendeleev, Kurchatov and Landau; designers and testers, cosmonauts (Gafgarin and Tereshkova), actors, painters, etc.

The Russian Federation is a great state, occupying first place on the planet in terms of territory and national wealth. However, its main pride is its outstanding citizens who have left a noticeable mark on history. Our country has raised a huge number of famous scientists, politicians, military leaders, athletes and artists of world renown. Their achievements allowed Russia to occupy one of the leading positions in the list of superpowers on the planet.

Rating

Who are they, outstanding citizens of Russia? The list can be continued endlessly, because every period in the history of our Fatherland has its great people who became famous in different fields of activity. Among the most prominent personalities who, to one degree or another, influenced the course of both Russian and world history, it is worth mentioning the following:

1. Kuzma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky.
2. Peter the Great.
3. Alexander Suvorov.
4. Mikhail Lomonosov.
5. Dmitriy Mendeleev.
6. Yuri Gagarin.
7. Andrey Sakharov.

Minin and Pozharsky

The outstanding citizen of Russia Kuzma Minin and his equally famous contemporary Prince Dmitry Pozharsky went down in history as the liberators of Russian lands from Polish invaders. At the beginning of the 17th century, the Time of Troubles began in the Russian state. The crisis, which engulfed many areas of life, was aggravated by the presence of impostors on the capital’s throne. In Moscow, Smolensk and a number of other cities, the Polish gentry ruled in full swing, and the western borders of the country were occupied by Swedish troops.

In order to drive out foreign invaders from Russian lands and liberate the country, the clergy called on the population to create a people's militia and liberate the capital from the Poles. The Novgorod zemstvo elder Kuzma Minin (Sukhoruk), who, although not of noble origin, responded to the call, but was a true patriot of his Motherland. In a short time, he managed to gather an army from the residents of Nizhny Novgorod. Prince Dmitry Pozharsky from the Rurik family agreed to head it.

Gradually, residents of surrounding cities, dissatisfied with the dominance of the Polish gentry in Moscow, began to join the people's militia of Nizhny Novgorod. By the fall of 1612, the army of Minin and Pozharsky numbered about 10 thousand people. At the beginning of November 1612, the Nizhny Novgorod militia managed to expel the Poles from the capital and force them to sign an act of surrender. The successful operation was made possible thanks to the skillful actions of Minin and Pozharsky. In 1818, the memory of the heroic liberators of Moscow was immortalized by the sculptor I. Martos in a monument erected on Red Square.

Peter the First

The significance of the reign of Peter I, nicknamed the Great State for his services to the state, is difficult to overestimate. An outstanding citizen of Russia, Peter the Great was on the throne for 43 years, coming to power at the age of 17. He turned the country into the greatest empire, founded the city of Petersburg on the Neva and moved the capital to it from Moscow, carried out a number of successful military campaigns, thanks to which he significantly expanded the borders of the state. Peter the Great began trading with Europe, founded the Academy of Sciences, opened many educational institutions, introduced compulsory study of foreign languages, and forced representatives of the noble classes to wear secular attire.

The significance of the reign of Peter I for Russia

The sovereign's reforms strengthened the economy and science, contributed to the development of the army and navy. His successful domestic and foreign policies became the basis for the further growth and development of the state. Voltaire highly appreciated the internal transformations of Russia in Peter's times. He wrote that the Russian people managed to achieve in half a century what other nations could not achieve in 500 years of their existence.

A. V. Suvorov

The most outstanding citizen of Russia in the second half of the 18th century is, of course, the great commander, Generalissimo of the Russian land and naval forces, Alexander Suvorov. This talented military leader fought more than 60 major battles and was not defeated in any of them. The army under the command of Suvorov managed to win even in cases where the enemy forces significantly outnumbered it. The commander took part in the Russian-Turkish wars of 1768-1774 and 1787-1791, brilliantly commanded Russian troops during the storming of Prague in 1794, and in the last years of his life he led the Italian and Swiss campaigns.

In battles, Suvorov used combat tactics that he personally developed, which were significantly ahead of their time. He did not recognize military drill and instilled in his soldiers a love for the Fatherland, considering it the key to victory in any battle. The legendary commander made sure that during military campaigns his army was provided with everything necessary. He heroically shared all the hardships with the soldiers, thanks to which he enjoyed great authority and respect among them. For his victories, Suvorov was awarded all the high military awards existing in his time in the Russian Empire. In addition, he was a holder of seven foreign orders.

M. V. Lomonosov

Outstanding citizens of Russia glorified their country not only in the art of statecraft or military tactics. Mikhail Lomonosov belongs to the cohort of the greatest Russian scientists who made a huge contribution to the development of world science. Born into a poor family and unable to receive a decent education, from early childhood he had a high intelligence and was drawn to knowledge. Lomonosov's desire for science was so strong that at the age of 19 he left his village, walked to Moscow and entered the Slavic-Greco-Roman Academy. This was followed by studies at St. Petersburg University at the Academy of Sciences. To improve his knowledge of the natural sciences, Mikhail was sent to Europe. At 34, the young scientist became an academician.

Without exaggeration, Lomonosov can be considered a universal person. He had brilliant knowledge of chemistry, physics, geography, astronomy, geology, metallurgy, history, and genealogy. In addition, the scientist was an excellent poet, writer and artist. Lomonosov made many discoveries in physics, chemistry and astronomy, and became the founder of the science of glass. He owns the project for the creation of Moscow University, which was later named after him.

D. I. Mendeleev

The world-famous chemist Dmitry Mendeleev is the pride of Russia. Having been born in Tobolsk in the family of a gymnasium director, he had no barriers to receiving an education. At the age of 21, young Mendeleev graduated from the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics of the St. Petersburg Pedagogical Institute with a gold medal. A few months later, he defended his dissertation for the right to lecture and began teaching practice. At the age of 23, Mendeleev was awarded a master's degree in chemistry. From this age he began teaching at the Imperial University of St. Petersburg. At the age of 31 he became a professor of chemical technology, and after 2 years - a professor of general chemistry.

Worldwide fame of the great chemist

In 1869, at the age of 35, Dmitry Mendeleev made a discovery that made him famous throughout the world. We are talking about the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements. It became the basis for all modern chemistry. Attempts to systematize elements by properties and atomic weight were made before Mendeleev, but he was the first who managed to clearly formulate the pattern existing between them.

The periodic table is not the only achievement of the scientist. He wrote many fundamental works on chemistry and initiated the creation of the Chamber of Weights and Measures in St. Petersburg. D.I. Mendeleev was a holder of eight honorary orders of the Russian Empire and foreign countries. He was awarded a doctorate from the Turin Academy of Sciences, Oxford, Cambridge, Priston, Edinburgh and Göttingen universities. Mendeleev's scientific authority was so high that he was nominated for the Nobel Prize three times. Unfortunately, the winners of this prestigious international award were different scientists each time. However, this fact does not in any way diminish the merits of the famous chemist to the Fatherland.

Yu. A. Gagarin

Yuri Gagarin is a prominent citizen of Soviet-era Russia. On April 12, 1961, on the Vostok-1 spacecraft, he flew into space for the first time in the history of mankind. Having spent 108 minutes in Earth's orbit, the cosmonaut returned to the planet as an international hero. Even world movie stars could envy Gagarin’s popularity. He made official visits to more than 30 foreign countries and traveled throughout the USSR.

An outstanding citizen of Russia, Yuri Gagarin, was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union and the highest insignia of many countries. He was preparing for a new space flight, but a plane crash that happened in March 1968 in the Vladimir region tragically cut short his life. Having lived only 34 years, Gagarin became one of the greatest people of the 20th century. Streets and squares in all major cities of Russia and the CIS countries are named after him, and monuments to him have been erected in many foreign countries. In honor of Yuri Gagarin's flight, International Cosmonautics Day is celebrated all over the world on April 12.

A. D. Sakharov

In addition to Gagarin, there were many other outstanding Russian citizens in the Soviet Union. The USSR became famous throughout the world thanks to academician Andrei Sakharov, who made an invaluable contribution to the development of physics. In 1949, together with Yu. Khariton, he developed a project for a hydrogen bomb - the first Soviet thermonuclear weapon. In addition, Sakharov conducted a lot of research on magnetic hydrodynamics, gravity, astrophysics, and plasma physics. In the mid-70s, he predicted the emergence of the Internet. In 1975, the academician was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

In addition to science, Sakharov was engaged in active human rights activities, for which he fell out of favor with the Soviet leadership. In 1980, he was stripped of all titles and highest awards, after which he was deported from Moscow to Gorky. After the start of Perestroika, Sakharov was allowed to return to the capital. The last years of his life he continued to engage in scientific activities, and was also elected as a deputy of the Supreme Council. In 1989, the scientist worked on a draft of a new Soviet constitution, which proclaimed the right of peoples to statehood, but sudden death did not allow him to complete the work he had begun.

Outstanding citizens of Russia of the 21st century

Today in our country there live a huge number of people who glorify it in politics, science, art and other fields of activity. The most famous scientists of our time are physicists Mikhail Allenov and Valery Rachkov, urbanist Denis Vizgalov, historian Vyacheslav Vorobyov, economist Nadezhda Kosareva, etc. Outstanding artists of the 21st century include artists Ilya Glazunov and Alena Azernaya, conductors Valery Gergiev and Yuri Bashmet, opera singers Dmitry Hvorostovsky and Anna Netrebko, actors Sergei Bezrukov and Konstantin Khabensky, directors Nikita Mikhalkov and Timur Bekmambetov and others. Well, the most outstanding politician in Russia today is its President, Vladimir Putin.