Joseph Stalin led the Soviet Union for about 25 years. He made it into a world power, but he was known for his harsh rule. Stalin defended the achievements of the Bolshevik Revolution, successfully waged war against NAZI Germany, and contributed to the division of Eastern from Western Europe in the 1940s. In the country, agriculture was actively mechanized, industrialization took place, as a result of which the USSR turned into a nuclear superpower with colossal geopolitical influence throughout the world.
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was born on December 21, 1879, in Gori, Georgia. His father was a cobbler and his mother was a domestic servant. The boy studied at a local church school and the Tiflis (Tbilisi in Georgian) Orthodox seminary, from which he was expelled in 1899.
His Georgian name was Ioseb Dzhugashvili. Later he used the name of Stalin, which is based on the Russian word for “steel.”
As a young man Stalin became interested in Communism. Communists believe that all citizens should get an equal share of their country’s wealth.
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At the end of October 1812, the news of the terrible fire, that broke out in Moscow after the entry of the Napoleonic army, reached Ryazan. The idea that two-thirds of Moscow’s buildings were destroyed was especially unbearable for one of the capital’s refugees, because architect Matvey Kazakov invested all his talent in decorating Moscow with magnificent buildings in the style of classicism and Russian Gothic.
The boy was born in 1738 into a family of a serf, who rose to a significant clerical rank. Thanks to the merits of the father, the future architect Kazakov was admitted to the school of famous architect Dmitry Vasilievich Ukhtomsky in 1751. Dmitry Vasilievich had built many buildings in the era of Queen Elizabeth.
In addition to the magnificent art school, Kazakov acquired practical skills in the organization of construction, in the selection of materials and technologies. This became his distinctive quality. The architect became a staunch supporter of the organic classical style.
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Lev Termen, Russian and Soviet inventor, invented musical instrument called the thereminovox and demonstrated it to the first ruler of the USSR. In 1947 he became a winner of the Stalin Prize for his outstanding invention.
Lev Termen (known as Leon Therimin in the West) was born on August 15, 1896 in St. Petersburg. The boy was born into a noble Orthodox family with French Huguenot roots (in French his name was written as Theremin). As a child Lev was very interested in physics and electricity. He studied piano and cello at the conservatory in Leningrad, but afterwards went to university to study physics and astronomy.
Inspired by the Bolshevik revolution in 1917, when everyone was interested in new things, Termen wanted to invent a musical instrument that would not use any mechanical energy, like the conductor of an orchestra, who only moves his hands.
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Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev is a well-known political leader. For almost 20 years he was at the heights of the power of the Soviet Union, first as general secretary of the CPSU Central Committee, and then as head of the USSR.
The Brezhnev era is commemorated as stagnation, since the country’s economy was completely destroyed due to failed reforms, which subsequently led to the collapse of the Union. Brezhnev’s rule in modern Russia is assessed in different ways in society – some consider him the best ruler of the 20th century, and others still today, with sarcasm, “thank him” for the collapse of the country, which became inevitable after the reign of Leonid Ilyich.
Many Russians remember his era as a Golden Age when living standards steadily improved. This was the result of his policy of borrowing from the West, combined with the twofold doubling of world oil prices and a deliberate decision after 1971 to reallocate production in favor of consumer products and foods.
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Peter Tchaikovsky is an outstanding Russian composer.
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was born on May 7, 1840 in Votkinsk, located on the territory of modern Udmurtia. His father was Ilya Petrovich Tchaikovsky was an engineer. The mother of the future celebrated composer was Alexandra Andreevna Assier. In Votkinsk, his father received a large house with servants and even his own army, consisting of one hundred Cossacks. This house was often visited by nobles, young people from the capital, English engineers and other venerable personalities.
The boy was the second child in his family. He also had elder brother Nikolai, younger brother Ippolit and younger sister Alexandra. Their father could play the flute, and the mother played the piano and the harp, as well as she had a very beautiful voice.
The boy was fond of music since his early childhood and also he liked poetry. Peter wrote numerous verses in French. In addition, he tried to learn everything about the life of Louis XVII.
In 1848, the Tchaikovskys moved to Moscow, as Ilya Petrovich retired and intended to find a private service. Literally a couple of months later the family moved to St. Petersburg. There, Pyotr Ilyich continued to study music, and also became acquainted with ballet, opera and symphony orchestra.
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Alexander Suvorov was a Russian military genius, the great military leader, the generalissimo of victory. He won more than 60 battles, took care of the soldiers. By the way, he created a practical uniform for the soldiers, that replaced narrow Prussian uniforms.
Historians call the commander unique, because for half a century of service he conducted exclusively offensive operations and never participated in a defensive war. Suvorov managed to protect the country from aggressive neighbors for many decades, making the borders of the state inviolable.
The future generalissimo was born into the family of General Vasily Suvorov, the godson of Peter the Great, who started serving as a batman and translator under the tsar. Under Catherine the Second Vasily Ivanovich served in the secret chancery and rose to the rank of general. Shortly before his resignation, he became a senator. The mother of the famous commander Avdotya Manukova came from an old noble family. Her father was vice-president of the Votchina collegium.
Family legend says that Alexander came from a noble Swede Suvor, who became a Russian citizen in 1622.
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Her life was a never-ending struggle with the world and with herself. She became the first Russian female professor.
Sofia Kovalevskaya was born on January 15, 1850 in Moscow. Her father was a Russian general. And her mother was the daughter of a well-known mathematician. The family lived in a large mansion near St. Petersburg. To tell the truth, her parents were very strict.
The girl loved mathematics at a very early age. When she was 11 years old, she hung up notes from mathematical lectures on her walls. Also she taught herself physics. When she was 15 years old, she went to St. Petersburg along with her mother and sister.
Few people know that in her early years Sophia was in love with Fyodor Dostoevsky, who made the marriage proposal to her sister Anna. Her elder sister also had a talent, but in literature. She wrote the story and secretly sent it to the famous writer. Secret correspondence began. Parents liked Anna’s printed story and Dostoevsky was invited into their house. Fyodor fell in love with Anna but she refused him. Sofia was pleased. They say that the sisters became the prototype of the sisters Epachiny in The Idiot, the famous novel by Dostoyevsky.
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