Russian Personalities

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

Category Archive: Music and dance

Vlad Topalov, Russian singer

Vlad Topalov, Russian singer

Vlad Topalov, Russian singer


Vlad Topalov is a Russian singer, ex-lead singer of the band Smash!!.
The boy was born on October 25, 1985 in Moscow. Since childhood he studied music and graduated from music school (violin). As a schoolboy Vlad played in rock bands in Rostov-on-Don, Moscow and St. Petersburg. In 1990, he and his younger sister, Alina (born in 1988) joined the children’s musical group Neposedy (Fidgets).
His partner was Julia Malinovskaya – future presenter of children’s musical TV contest Morning Star. With the group Neposedy Vlad appeared on concert stages, not only in Russia but all over the world. They successfully performed at music festivals in Italy, Bulgaria, Japan, Norway. By the way, they won the children’s music competitions such as the Morning Star, Bravo Bravissimo, etc. Elena Katina and Yulia Volkova, future singers of the band Tatu, also performed in Neposedy.
In 1994 Vlad was sent to England, where he studied at college. And in 1997, at the age of 12, he finally returned to Moscow.
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Nina Ananiashvili, great dancer

Nina Ananiashvili, great dancer

Nina Ananiashvili, great dancer


Nina Ananiashvili is a Soviet Georgian ballerina, People’s Artist of the Georgian SSR (1989), People’s Artist of Russia (1995). Also Nina was awarded Order of Merit for the Fatherland (22 March 2001), Russian Independent National Award Triumph – 1991 (the dancer was honored for the first time), Ballet Magazine Award Soul of the Dance (2003).
By the way, she is an artistic director of the State Ballet of Georgia.
Pretty girl was born on March 28, 1963 in Tbilisi, Georgian SSR, Soviet Union. Nina was a sickly child and her parents urged her to take up skating to strengthen her health. At the age of 10 the girl a junior skating champion of Georgia. Then she entered the Tbilisi Choreography School and continued her studies at the Moscow Choreography School. American critics called her “the undisputed superstar of classical ballet”.
After graduation in 1981, Nina joined the Bolshoi Ballet. 17-year-old ballerina danced in Hamburg and her performance was followed by a 30-minute ovation.
The main role in the opera-ballet Mlada by N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov was staged specially for Nina.
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Pugacheva and Galkin’s Coat of Arms

Pugacheva and Galkin Coat of Arms

Pugacheva and Galkin’s Coat of Arms

In December 26, 2011 Soviet and Russian popular singer Alla Pugacheva (born in 1949) and Russian comedian Maxim Galkin (born in 1976) got married proving their commitment to each other despite the significant age gap.
Star couple now has their own family coat of arms for their elegant castle in the suburban village Gryaz.
This work costs half a million rubles, but artist Vladislav Koval did not take a penny. According to the artist, for him it is an art, not a business.
On their Coat of arms you can see an owl (as symbol of Pugacheva) and a jackdaw (as a symbol of Galkin) as well as 2 helmets, turned to each other, and inscription in Latin MAXIMIALLA.
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Laima Vaikule, pop singer

Laima Vaikule, pop singer

Laima Vaikule, pop singer


Laima Vaikule is a Latvian and Russian pop singer and actress.
Pretty girl was born on March 31, 1954 in Cesis, Latvian SSR. Laima says “I began to sing only because of my grandmother, who sang in the church choir”.
For the first time the girl performed at the age of 12, taking part in a competition for young singers.
At the age of 15 she became a soloist of the Riga Radio and Television Orchestra under the direction of Raymond Pauls.
Since 1979 she had performed at the famous variety show, Juras pearl (Sea pearl) in Jurmala.
In 1984 Laima entered the Russian University of Theatre Arts (GITIS).
The singer was noticed by well-known songwriter Ilya Reznik. He invited Laima to record a new song Night Fire. With this song she took part in the contest Song of the Year – 86.
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Olga Spessivtseva – outstanding ballerina

Olga Spessivtseva

Olga Spessivtseva – outstanding ballerina

“There was an apple in the world, it was cut into two halves. One half was Pavlova, another – Spessivtseva”.
Enrico Cecchetti, Italian ballet teacher of the twentieth century.

Olga Spessivtseva was one of the most famous and brightest classical ballerinas of the 20th century.
Awesome girl entered the St. Petersburg Imperial Ballet Academy in 1906. After graduating in 1913, she joined the Mariinsky Theatre. Fantastic dancer ideally suited for roles of Giselle and Odette-Odile in Swan Lake. You know, Spessivtseva was called the last legend of romanticism in ballet.
The audience first saw her in 1913. She was a young beautiful girl, gentle, timid, with huge, full of mystery eyes, pale skin and black hair.
In the early twenties, the girl was a real teen idol. She danced in performances of Diaghilev’s troupe with a unique Vaslav Nijinsky. And in the early nineties Spessivtseva, after mental illness, ended her days far from home, in one of the homes for the elderly people.
Her name is surrounded by an aura of mystery – a star and a victim of her time, silent, absolutely indifferent to fame…
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Hellawes – Natalia O’Shea

Hellawes - Natalia O'Shea

Hellawes – Natalia O’Shea


Hellawes is a Russian harpist, Russian singer, songwriter, founder and soloist of the group Melnitsa. By the way, she is a candidate of philological sciences, specialist in Celtic and early German writing and literature.
Natalia Nikolaeva (her real name) was born on September 3, 1976 into the family of Moscow scientists. Her father was an organic chemist, and her mother worked at the Moscow State University as a biochemist.
Since childhood Natalia was fond of music and even wanted to become a pianist. Her dad was fond of classical music, and he taught his daughter to listen to it and understand it. But then she decided to enter the Moscow State University. At the university the girl became interested in Tolkienistics, mysticism and occultism. So Natalia chose creative pseudonym Hellawes, the name of the witch from the novel Death of Arthur.
In 2003, Nikolaeva defended her Ph.D. thesis. One time she passed an internship in Ireland and taught at Dublin Trinity College.
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Dmitry Nechaev, Musician

Dmitry Nechaev, Russian musician

Dmitry Nechaev, Russian musician

Dmitry Nechaev was born on October 29, 1987 in Moscow, Russia.
He is a musician, who started his career working as a professional model when he was 11 years old.
You know, Dmitry participated in photo sessions for the world’s leading fashion magazines. In a short period of time, the boy gained the status of an international model in Russia and Europe.
At the age of 15 he fell in love with music. So he began to combine sounds together into a symphony.
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