1. Egor Klinaev (1999)

Movie Actor

Russian actor who was best recognized for having starred in several feature films. He is known for having portrayed the character Dimka Terentyev in the Chastnoe pionerskoe series including all three...

2. Elena Radionova (1999)

Russian Figure Skater

Russian figure skater who won gold at the World Junior Championships in 2013 and 2014, making her the first skater in history to win two World Junior titles. In 2015,...

3. Evgenia Medvedeva (1999)

Russian Figure Skater

Accomplished figure skater whose accolades include being a 2016 World and European champion, as well as a 2016 Russian national champion. She earned the world record score for the ladies' free...

4. Sofya Zhuk (1999)

Tennis Player

Russian tennis player who won the Junior Wimbledon championship in 2015, winning the tournament without losing a set. She became only the second Russian youth player to win the title.

5. Katya Gordon (1980)

Lawyer

Journalist, lawyer and singer-songwriter who ran for president in the 2018 Russian elections. 

6. Alexander Pushkin (1799)

Russian Poet Novelist Playwright

Known as the founder of modern Russian literature and one of the greatest Russian poets of all time, he wrote Eugene Onegin, Boris Godunov, and The Captain's Daughter, among other...

7. Nikolai Rubinstein (1835)

Russian Musician

Anton Rubinstein's mellower younger brother. He was considered to be one of his generation's greatest pianists.

8. Olesya Rulin (1986)

Actress

Actress who starred in the film Private Valentine: Blonde & Dangerous and appeared in High School Musical. In 2009, she appeared in Flying By. 

9. Sofia Kovalevskaya (1850)

First Major Russian Female Mathe

After graduating from the University of Heidelberg, this Russian-born mathematician submitted a dissertation to the University of Göttingen in which she laid out an important mathematical concept that is now...

10. Igor Presnyakov (1960)

Guitarist

Fingerstyle guitarist who gained an enormous following from around the world on his self-titled YouTube channel.

11. Constantin Stanislavski (1863)

Russian Actor And Theatre Direct

Russian theatre actor known for popularizing the "Stanislavski method" of acting, otherwise known simply as "method" acting. He wrote several books including "An Actor Prepares" and his autobiography "My Life...

12. Wassily Kandinsky (1866)

Russian Painter

Russian abstract painter whose best known geometric-form works included "On White II" and "Composition X." His famed Blue Rider Period lasted from 1911 until 1914.

13. Anna Semenovich (1980)

Figure Skater

After competing in the 1998 World Figure Skating Championships and the 2000 Russian and European World Championships, this ice dancer pursued careers in singing, modeling, and acting. She released her...

14. Alexander Scriabin (1872)

Russian Pianist Composer

Russian Symbolist composer and pianist whose work was both influential and controversial. He pioneered an atonal and dissonant musical system without any influence from Arnold Schoenberg. He said he was...

15. Yekaterina Geltzer (1876)

Russian Ballet Dancer

Former prima ballerina, most known for her time spent with the Bolshoi Ballet.

16. Regina Spektor (1980)

American Singer-songwriter And P

Anti-folk singer-songwriter whose songs "Us" and "Hero" were featured in the film 500 Days of Summer. Her album Begin to Hope was a breakout success, peaking at #20 on the Billboard...

17. Nikolai Medtner (1880)

Russian Pianist Composer Author

Prolific musician. He wrote 14 piano sonatas, three violin sonatas, three piano concerti, 108 songs, and the popular 38 "Skazki" solos.

18. Ernest Beaux (1881)

Entrepreneur

Perfumer who came up with the immortal Chanel No. 5 scent. His other scent creations include Cuir de Russie, Bois des Îles, and Chanel No. 22.

19. Evgeny Lebedev (1980)

Entrepreneur

Entrepreneur who created Lebedev Holdings Ltd., which has owned the newspapers London Evening Standard and The Independent as well as the television channel London Live. He is also a journalist whose work...

20. Yuri Kolokolnikov (1980)

Actor

Russian actor who is best recognized for his recurring television appearances. He is known for having starred as Styr in the 2014 series Game of Thrones as well as Gennadi Bystrov in...

21. Nikolai Bukharin (1888)

Politician

Bolshevik revolutionary and one of the first members of the Politburo who was one of the more prominent victims of the "Moscow Trials" of the late 30's. He formulated the...

22. Konstantin Melnikov (1890)

Russian Architect

Architect and painter of the 1920s avant-garde period; perhaps unfairly linked to the Constructivists since his approach was heavily independent of a specific style.

23. Paul Karrer (1889)

Swiss Chemist

A Swiss organic chemist who studied vitamins and won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1937. He helped identify lactoflavin as part of the complex originally thought to be vitamin...

24. Boris Pasternak (1890)

Russian Poet And Writer

Russian novelist, poet, and translator who famously wrote Doctor Zhivago and was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1958. His other notable works include My Sister, Life, and The...

25. Olga Nikolaevna (1895)

Empress

Oldest daughter of Russian Czar Nicholas II and his wife Empress Alexandra. She was tragically killed along with her parents and siblings in the aftermath of the Russian Revolution of...

26. Nikolai Erdman (1900)

Russian Writer

Remembered for his 1928 play The Suicide, this Soviet writer also penned a 1924 dramatic work titled The Mandate, as well as the screenplay for the 1928 silent movie The...

27. Vera Menchik (1906)

British-czech Chess Player

Women's chess pioneer who is legendary for becoming the first ever Women's World Chess Champion in 1927.

28. Sulamith Messerer (1908)

Russian Ballet Choreographer

Former dancer, most recognized for laying the foundation for Ballet in Japan.

29. Boris Leven (1908)

Production Designer

Best remembered for his Academy Award-winning art direction for the popular 1961 movie version of West Side Story, this cinematic artist and production designer also contributed to such films as...

30. Henri Troyat (1911)

French Writer

Acclaimed fiction writer, biographer, and historian whose more than 100 French-language works include L’Araigne, Les Ponts de Paris, and La Neige en deuil.

31. Anna Starshenbaum (1989)

Actress

Actress who has earned acclaimed for her roles in Russian films like Detyam do 16 (2010), Fort Ross (2014) and Lyubov s Ogranicheniyami (2017). She is also known for her role as Polina...

32. André Eglevsky (1917)

American Dancer

Prolific ballet dancer, most recognized for his role as a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet.

33. Ilya Prigogine (1917)

Physical Chemist

Belgian physical chemist who is best known for his work on irreversible thermodynamics. He was awarded the 1977 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his research into dissipative structures.

34. Leonid Hurwicz (1917)

American Economist Mathematician

The winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2007 for shedding light on how individuals and institutions interact given unequal knowledge.

35. Anna Kournikova (1981)

Tennis Player And Model

Former tennis player who ranked as high as #8 in the world. She reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon in 1997. 

36. Vladimir Simagin (1919)

Russian Chess Grandmaster

Soviet chess master who was the Moscow Champion in 1947, 1956, and 1959. He also helped to train Vasily Smyslov to the World Championship.

37. T-Killah (1989)

World Music Singer

Russian hip hop artist and rapper who rocketed to fame in 2010 for the hit single "Above Ground." He then went on to release his debut album Boom in 2013...

38. Roma Acorn (1996)

Russian Youtube Celebrity

YouTuber-turned pop singer who has earned over 100 million views on his YouTube channel. He was selected by viewers to host one of the biggest music award shows in Russia,...

39. Vasily Smyslov (1921)

Chess Grandmaster

Soviet chess master who was an eight time candidate for World Champion.

40. Andrei Sakharov (1921)

Soviet Nuclear Physicist

Russian atomic physicist who worked on the hydrogen bomb and other Soviet thermonuclear weapons. An outspoken dissident and critic of the Soviet regime, he earned a Nobel Peace Prize in...

41. Greg Kasavin (1977)

American Journalist

Game designer and journalist known for his work with Supergiant Games. He also spent more than a decade as a writer for GameSpot.

42. Maya Plisetskaya (1925)

Russian Ballet Dancer

Russian ballerina considered by many as one of the most gifted ballet dancers of the 20th century.

43. Anastasia Grishina (1996)

Gymnast

Russian artistic gymnast who took home a silver team medal at the 2012 London Olympics.

44. Adelina Sotnikova (1996)

Russian Figure Skater

Figure skater famous for being the first female skater from Russia to win an Olympic gold medal. She won Russian national championships in 2009, 2011, 2012, and 2014.

45. Svetlana Alliluyeva (1926)

Daughter Of Joseph Stalin

Historian, political theorist, writer and lecturer who is best known for being the youngest child and only daughter of Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin who defected when the Russian dictator died.

46. Daniil Medvedev (1996)

Tennis Player

Pro tennis player who rose to a career-high singles ATP ranking of 4th in the world in September 2019. He finished as the runner-up at the 2019 US Open, which...

47. Fedor Andreev (1982)

Figure Skater

Canadian-Russian ice dancer who partnered up with Jana Khokhlova in 2010.

48. Nikolay Baskov (1976)

Russian Singer

Vocalist who has been hugely respected in Russia both for his opera performances and pop music recordings, releasing acclaimed albums like Masterpieces of the Passing Century (2001). He has received many...

49. Lev Yashin (1929)

Russian Footballer

One of soccer's greatest goalkeepers, he revolutionized the position in his 22 seasons with Dinamo Moscow.

50. Alexander Piatigorsky (1929)

Russian Philosopher

Philosopher who was remembered for his exploration of South Asian philosophy and culture.