Russian Personalities

People well-known in art, sport, film, fashion

Category Archive: History

Russian Girls headdresses

Konstantin Makovsky Russian Beauty

Russian Girls headdresses. Konstantin Makovsky (1839-1915) Russian Beauty.


Russian girls headdresses are awesome and pretty.
Since ancient times all women’s headdresses were divided into headdresses for maidens and married women.
Maidens wore headbands and ribbons and their hair was open.
After marriage, women’s headdress had changed, because her beauty now belonged only to her husband.
Foreigners who visited Russia left a description of the wedding custom: during the ceremony a groom wore a headscarf on the head of his beloved and became her husband.
Kokoshnik was very popular.
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Lyudmila Gurchenko, popular Soviet – Russian singer

Lyudmila Gurchenko, popular Soviet - Russian singer

Lyudmila Gurchenko, popular Soviet – Russian singer


Lyudmila Gurchenko is a famous Soviet and Russian actress, singer, film director. Films with her participation are known to millions and have firmly entered the lists of Soviet classics. To tell the truth, she became the symbol of an era in the national cinema. By the way, she was People’s Artist of USSR (1983), Laureate of State Prize of the RSFSR and received the Russian Federation State Prize in 1994. Gurchenko became a star in 1956 after starring in Eldar Ryazanov’s musical film Carnival Night. The song Five Minutes became a kind of hymn of the New Year in the USSR.
Pretty girl was born on November 12, 1935 in Kharkov, Soviet Union. Before the war, the parents worked in the Kharkov Philharmonic. Her father was a professional musician, he played the accordion and sang at festivals, and her mother helped him. Very often parents took their daughter with them to concerts, so Lyudmila had a backstage childhood.
The girl’s happy childhood was interrupted by the war. The father went to war and the little girl with her mother stayed in occupied Kharkov.
On September 1, 1943 after the liberation of Kharkov Lyudmila went to school. And in the autumn of 1944 she entered the Beethoven School of Music – her parents decided to develop the musical abilities of the child.
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Galina Vishnevskaya and Mstislav Rostropovich

Galina Vishnevskaya and Mstislav Rostropovich

Galina Vishnevskaya and Mstislav Rostropovich


Galina Vishnevskaya was a famous Soviet opera singer (soprano), soloist of the Bolshoi Theater and People’s Artist of the USSR. In addition to the music, Galina Pavlovna was an actress, theater director and teacher. Also she was the head of the Moscow Center of Opera Singing.
Galina Ivanova was born on October 25, 1926 in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg). Her parents divorced when she was a child. The girl spent her childhood with her grandmother in Kronstadt. At the age of 16, Galina was left alone – her grandmother did not survive the siege and died.
The girl joined the air defense unit. Even before that, it was discovered that she had a wonderful voice. Therefore, Ivanova often took part in concerts for defenders. She sang on ships and in hospitals.
A year later, 17-year-old girl became an illuminator assistant at the Vyborg House of Culture.
After the Siege of Leningrad, the young singer joined the choir of the Leningrad Operetta Theater.
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Countess Sofia Panina

Countess Sofia Panina

Countess Sofia Panina


Countess Sofia Panina was a Deputy Minister of Welfare and Education in the Provisional Government. She was the last representative of the count’s branch of the Panin family, a large landowner, heiress of the Marfino estate and the hostess of the palace in Gaspra. By the way, she is known for participation in the liberal movement and charitable endeavors. Sofia was nicknamed Red Countess because she was against the monarchy.
The girl was born on August 23, 1871 into a rich and noble family. Her mother belonged to the family of famous Russian millionaires – the Maltsev family. And her grandfather was the Minister of Justice Vladimir Panin, her uncle was the poet Tola Dorian.
On April 24, 1890 Sofia married aristocrat, diplomat A. Polovtsev. Alexander III, the second cousin of the groom, was at their wedding. Soon the marriage ended in divorce.
In 1891, Sofia together with teacher A. V. Peshekhonova opened a free dining room for children in Ligovka, Petersburg.
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Aleksandra Pakhmutova, Russian composer

Aleksandra Pakhmutova, Russian composer

Aleksandra Pakhmutova, Russian composer


Aleksandra Pakhmutova is a legend of Soviet and Russian music, a composer who makes stars. You know, she is considered one of the most popular composers of the Soviet Union. Actually, in 1984, she was awarded the title People’s Artist of the USSR. She is an author of over 400 songs, including such popular songs as The Melody, Russian Waltz, Tenderness, Hope, The Old Maple Tree, The Song of the Perturbed Youth, The Bird of Happiness and Good-Bye Moscow. To tell the truth, her art became a part of the Soviet and Russian history.
Aleksandra, or Alya, was born on November 9, 1929 in Stalingrad (now Volgograd). She began playing the piano and composing music at an early age. At the age of five little Pakhmutova composed the first full-length piano piece called Roosters Sing, and the girl went to music school only two years later.
The Great Patriotic War interrupted her studies at the Stalingrad music school, but in 1943 Pakhmutova went to Moscow and entered the music school at the Moscow state music conservatory. Then she became a student of the Moscow State Conservatory named after P. I. Tchaikovsky.
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Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia

Fyodor Rokotov. Portrait of Catherine the Great

Fyodor Rokotov. Portrait of Catherine the Great

Catherine the Great was Empress of Russia, who ruled from 1762 to 1796. Her reign was the most significant period in Russian history because the country became a strong power in Europe. The era of Catherine the Great marks the “golden age” of the Russian Empire. Biography of Catherine II is full of numerous achievements, as well as love affairs.
You know, she was born Sophie Fredericke Auguste von Anhalt-Zerbst on April 21, 1729 in Stettin, which was a part of Germany at that time (now Szczecin, Poland). The future Russian Empress learned English, Italian and French, danced and sang, and also received knowledge of history, geography and theology.
When the princess was 15 years old it became known that Elizabeth I chose her as a bride for her heir, Peter Fedorovich, who later became the Russian Emperor Peter III. The girl immediately began to study Russian history, language and Orthodoxy in order to learn more about her new homeland.
Soon she converted to Christianity and was named Catherine Alekseevna. The next day the girl married Peter Fedorovich, who was her second cousin.
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Ekaterina Maximova, Vladimir Vasiliev – Russian ballet dancers

Ekaterina Maximova, Vladimir Vasiliev - Russian ballet dancers

Ekaterina Maximova, Vladimir Vasiliev – Russian ballet dancers


Ekaterina Maximova and her husband Vladimir Vasiliev were great Soviet and Russian ballet dancers, choreographers and ballet teachers.

Maksimova is the legend of the Russian ballet and the prima of the Bolshoi Theater. You know, she became famous for virtuosity and aerial grace. The great ballet dancer was called Madame No. She had a strong character and was very confident. But if there was a question of creativity the ballerina replied unchanged: “No, I cannot.” However, there were those who believed in her more. By the way, in 1973 Ekaterina was awarded the title People’s Artist of the USSR and in 1981 she became a Laureate of the State Prize of the USSR.
Pretty girl was born on February 1, 1939 in Moscow. Little Katya did not dream about the stage. The girl wanted to become a conductor or a fireman.
At the age of 10 Ekaterina entered the choreography school. Six months later, the girl appeared on stage. The first episodic roles in the performances Cinderella and The Nutcracker demonstrated that Katya would have a great future. Role of Masha in The Nutcracker brought the young ballerina the first award – the prize of the All-Union Competition of Ballet Dancers.
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