Russian Personalities

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

Category Archive: Music and dance

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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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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Pavel Volya – Stand-up Comic

Pavel Volya - Stand-up Comic

Pavel Volya – Stand-up Comic


Pavel Volya, also known as resident Comedy Club Pavel “Snowball” Volya, is a Russian entertainer, TV presenter, actor, singer, DJ.
Denis Dobrovolskiy (his real name) was born on March 14, 1979 in Penza. In 2001, he graduated from the Penza Pedagogical Institute (specialty – teacher of Russian language and literature). Immediately after graduation he went to Moscow.
Pavel took part in KVN in the team Valeon Dasson (Penza), together with Timur Rodriguez and Leonid Shkolnik. However, he became famous as a member of the Russian TV project Comedy Club.
Volya is a former presenter of TV projects on TNT channel – Killing League and Laughter Without Rules, Comedy Battle. Also he is a young rapper, who released albums Respect and Uvazhuha and Miracles Happen.
Pavel makes fun of personal life and work of actors, singers and athletes who came to the show Comedy Club, where he has the unofficial nickname “glamorous scum”. It’s worth noting that Pavel doesn’t criticize politicians.
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Maria Zaiceva, pop singer

Maria Zaiceva, pop singer

Maria Zaiceva, pop singer


Maria Zaiceva is a Russian singer, ex-member of the group Assorti. You know, she was a participant of the musical TV shows People’s Artist and Golos (Voice). Today she performs together with Maria Sheikh in the group # 2Mashas.
Pretty girl was born on January 11, 1983 in Moscow. By the way, Maria began to sing before she learned to speak. At the age of 7 she took a couple of piano lessons at home, and then continued to work on her own. Then she began to write and compose music to her poems. Also Masha is fond of drawing.
The girl chose the profession of a lawyer, therefore she entered the Russian Academy of Justice. In 2004, Maria graduated from the academy, but at that time she already knew that she would sing.
She was one of the winners of the TV project People’s Artist. Then producer Evgeni Fridlyand decided to create a group Assorti. So, Oksana Kazakova, Arina Rits, Olga Vatlina, Natalya Povolotskaya, Anna Alina, and Maria joined the new group. The girls quickly became popular.
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Marina Devyatova, Russian folk singer

Marina Devyatova, Russian folk singer

Marina Devyatova, Russian folk singer


Marina Devyatova is a Russian singer, performer of traditional Russian folk songs in modern arrangement. By the way, she is the finalist of the third season of the television project People’s Artist. She often performed in various countries as an “ambassador” of Russian culture.
Pretty girl was born on December 13, 1983 in Moscow. Her father is a singer of Russian folk songs, People’s Artist of Russia Vladimir Devyatov. And her mother is the choreographer. At the age of three, Marina began to sing. The girl became the second child in the family, parents already brought up the eldest daughter Katya, who also had musical abilities. When Marina was five years old, her parents divorced.
In 1999 the girl entered the Music College named after Dmitry Shostakovich. And in 2001 she won the All-Russia competition, which was held in Voronezh. While studying at college, she met Artem Vorobiev, the founder and artistic director of the group Indrik-Beast. He invited Marina to be a singer in the ensemble. Indrik-Beast played old Russian and Slavic songs in modern arrangement.
From 2003 to 2008 Marina studied at the Russian Academy of Music, the Faculty of folk song, and took part in the international competition Slavic Bazaar.
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Elena Obraztsova, bright opera star

Elena Obraztsova, bright opera star

Elena Obraztsova, bright opera star


Elena Obraztsova was a Soviet and Russian opera singer (mezzo-soprano), actress, teacher, professor. You know, she was People’s Artist of the USSR (1976), Hero of Socialist Labor (1990), winner of the Lenin Prize (1976) and the State Prize of the RSFSR. By the way, she was widely recognized as one of the greatest opera singers of all times.
Creative woman taught music in Musashino, at the Tokyo Music Academy. Elena founded a charitable foundation, which continues to work on the development of musicians’ education and stimulating Russian art.
Pretty girl was born on July 7, 1939 in Leningrad, Soviet Union (now St. Petersburg, Russia). Unfortunately, in autumn 1941, the siege began and the girl, her mother and grandmother were evacuated to a small town Ustyuzhna, Vologda region. Elena was fond of music since the early childhood. She started singing at the age of 5. From 1948 to 1954, young Lena developed her talent in a children’s choir, organized on the basis of the Leningrad Palace of Pioneers.
Talented girl entered the Leningrad State Conservatory named after Rimsky-Korsakov.
In 1963 she was invited to play the role of Marina Mnishek in Mussorgsky’s opera Boris Godunov at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow.
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Marina Khlebnikova, pop singer

Marina Khlebnikova

Marina Khlebnikova, pop singer


Marina Khlebnikova is a singer, who became a real star of the Soviet and Russian pop music. Also she worked as a TV presenter on TVC channel.
Pretty girl was born on November 6, 1965 in Dolgoprudny, Moscow region. Her parents were radiophysicists, but they played the piano and the guitar.
At school she was almost an excellent student, her favorite subject was physics, and Marina even dreamed of becoming a metallurgist. Her spare time she spent playing in school plays.
Future pop singer created a group Marinade while studying at school. By the way, Marina was engaged in swimming (Candidate for master of sports), she performed for the national team and became the champion of Moscow in 1987.
After school Marina entered the Gnessin Music School. During the studies she performed with Dixieland (Jazz Ensemble) and Doctor Jazz.
In 1989, Bari Alibasov invited Marina to be a soloist of his groups – first, Integral, then Na-na. However, in 1990, Marina left the group (which then became a boys-band) and began her solo career.
Already in 1991 the singer became the winner of the contest Yalta-91 with the song Paradise In A Tent.
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