The most controversial figures in Russian history on RT Documentary

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Ivy Mike Test of First H-Bomb in 1952.

5 August

On August 5, 1963, the Treaty banning Nuclear Weapon Tests in the Atmosphere, in Outer Space and Underwater, often abbreviated as the Partial Test Ban Treaty, was signed between the Soviet Union, the United States, and Great Britain. …

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Foreigners in Russia

Peter Carl Faberge

Peter Carl Faberge was a world famous master jeweler and head of the ‘House of Faberge’ in Imperial Russia in the waning days of the Russian Empire.

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Prominent Russians: faces of Russia

Mikhail Bulgakov

Mikhail Bulgakov Literature Mikhail Bulgakov was a Russian novelist and playwright, known for his vivid satirical images of life in Russia and his novel The Master and Margarita.

Yury Gagarin

Yury Gagarin Space and aviation Yury Gagarin was the first man to orbit the earth in a man-made spacecraft leading the world into the era of the space exploration.

Peter I the Great

Peter I the Great The Romanov dynasty One of Russia’s greatest statesmen, Peter the Great, the first Emperor of Russia was a man of unwavering willpower, extraordinary energy and supreme vision.

Vladimir Putin

Vladimir Putin Leaders At the stroke of the 21st century, Vladimir Putin, current President of Russia, became one of the worlds’ most well-known politicians, associated with Russia’s rise from the ashes.

Dmitry Medvedev

Dmitry Medvedev Leaders Dmitry Medvedev is Russia's Prime Minister and third President.

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn Literature Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn was a Russian Nobel prize-winning author who exposed the horror of Soviet prison labor camps and gave new meaning to the word "gulag."

Andrey Arshavin

Andrey Arshavin Sport Despite being 1.72 meters tall, Andrey Arshavin is the biggest star in Russian soccer.

Joseph Stalin

Joseph Stalin Leaders Joseph Stalin is one of the most controversial and enigmatic figures in Russian history and is still the subject of fierce discussions.

Marc Chagall

Marc Chagall Art Russian-French artist, master of modernism and one of the most successful artists of the 20th century.

Mikhail Baryshnikov

Mikhail Baryshnikov Opera and ballet Mikhail Baryshnikov is one of the greatest ballet dancers of the 20th century, who has also become one of the most widely recognizable contemporary performers.

Timur Bekmambetov

Timur Bekmambetov Cinema and theater Timur Bekmambetov is recognized as one of the most talented Post-Soviet Russian film directors and the only Russian film director to enjoy success in Hollywood.

Maria Sharapova

Maria Sharapova Sport Winning her first Wimbledon Championship at the age of 17, Maria Sharapova became the first Russian female tennis player to claim the #1 ranking in the world.

Leo Tolstoy

Leo Tolstoy Literature A Russian writer, Leo Tolstoy is widely seen as one of the greatest European novelists of all time.

Pyotr Tchaikovsky

Pyotr Tchaikovsky Music Pyotr Tchaikovsky is one of the most loved Russian composers.

Catherine II the Great

Catherine II the Great The Romanov dynasty Recognized worldwide as a noteworthy historical figure, Catherine the Great made such progress in political power that it is hard to find similar examples in world history.

Lyubov Orlova

Lyubov Orlova Cinema and theater Lyubov Orlova is the most glamorous and popular actress of Soviet cinema.

Anton Chekhov

Anton Chekhov Literature Anton Chekhov is the most insightful and époque-making dramatist in Russia, author of world famous plays, mostly through their interpretation by the Moscow Art Theater.

Maya Plisetskaya

Maya Plisetskaya Opera and ballet Plisetskaya is renowned as one of the world's greatest and most charismatic ballerinas.

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B Isaac Babel Ivan Bagramyan Pyotr Bagration Leon Bakst Aleksandr Bakulev Mikhail Bakunin Miliy Balakirev Konstantin Balmont Yury Baluevsky Yevgeny Baratynsky Mikhail Barklay de Tolly (Michael Andreas Barclay de Tolly) Mikhail Baryshnikov St. Basil Nikolay Basov Yelena Baturina Vasily Bazhenov Vladimir Bekhterev Timur Bekmambetov Vissarion Belinsky Faddey Bellinsgauzen Andrey Bely Aleksandr Benckendorff Aleksandr Benua Nikolay Berdyaev Boris Berezovsky Olga Berggolts Lavrentiy Beria Vitus Bering Mark Bernes Dima Bilan Aleksandr Blok Andrey Bogolyubsky Fyodor Bondarchuk Sergey Bondarchuk St.Boris & Gleb Aleksandr Borodin Pavel Borodin Evgeny Botkin Mikhail Botvinnik Viktor Bout Leonid Brezhnev Sergey Brin Joseph Brodsky Aleksey Brusilov Karl Bryullov Valery Bryusov Semyon Budenny Nikolay Bukharin Mikhail Bulgakov Ivan Bunin Nikolay Burdenko

D Vladimir Dahl Ekaterina Dashkova Denis Davydov The Demidov dynasty Anton Denikin Oleg Deripaska Gavriil Derzhavin Aleksandr Deyneka Semyon Dezhnyov Sergey Diagilev Dmitry Donskoy Yury Dolgoruky Fyodor Dostoevsky Sergei Dovlatov Pavel Durov Nadezhda Durova The Durovs Felix Dzerzhinsky

E Ilya Ehrenburg Sergey Eisenstein Aleksey Ermolov Sergey Esenin

F Afanasy Fet Viacheslav Fetisov Sergey Filatov Denis Fonvizin Mikhail Fradkov Mikhail Frunze Fyodor I “The Bellringer” Svyatoslav Fyodorov Ivan Fyodorov

H Aleksandr Herzen Zinaida Hippius Dmitry Hvorostovsky

I Igor the Brave Ilya Ilf & Evgeny Petrov Andrey Illarionov Ilya Muromets Kirsan Ilyumzhinov Sergey Ilyushin Abram Ioffe Ivan I Kalita Ivan III the Great Ivan IV the Terrible Sergey Ivanov Igor Ivanov Aleksandr Izosimov

K Alina Kabayeva Lazar Kaganovich Mikhail Kalashnikov Mikhail Kalatozov Mikhail Kalinin Lev Kamenev Vassily Kandinsky Pyotr Kapitsa Nikolay Karamzin Dmitry Karbyshev Anatoly Karpov Anatoly Kashpirovsky Garry Kasparov Mikhail Kasyanov Mstislav Keldysh Aleksandr Kerensky Yerofey Khabarov Konstantin Khabensky Aram Khachaturyan Chulpan Khamatova Aleksansdr Khanzhonkov Valery Kharlamov Daniil Kharms Aleksandr Khloponin Bohdan Khmelnitsky Mikhail Khodorkovsky Svetlana Khorkina Viktor Khristenko Nikita Khrushchev Sergey Kirienko Patriarch Kirill Sergey Kirov Vasily Klyuchevsky Viktor Kochubey Aleksandr Kolchak Aleksandra Kollontai Anatoly Komm Pyotr Konchalovsky Andrey Konchalovsky Ivan Konev Fyodor Konyukhov Ilya Kormiltsev Lavr Kornilov Sergey Korolev Mikhail Koshkin Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya Aleksey Kosygin Anna Kournikova Sofia Kovalevskaya Dmitry Kozak Ivan Kozhedub Ivan Kramskoy Ivan Kruzenshtern (Adam Johann von Krusenstern) Ivan Krylov Matilda Kshesinskaya Aleksey Kudrin Arkhip Kuindzhi Ivan Kulibin Aleksandr Kuprin Igor Kurchatov Mikhail Kutuzov

M Muslim Magomayev Anton Makarenko Nikolay Makarov Natalia Makarova Nestor Makhno Ekaterina Maksimova Georgy Malenkov Kazimir Malevich Rodion Malinovsky Savva Mamontov Osip Mandelstam Aleksey Maresyev Maria Feodorovna, Empress Consort of Russia Samuil Marshak Aleksandr Matrosov Denis Matsuev Valentina Matvienko Vladimir Mayakovsky Dmitry Medvedev Leonid Melamed Dmitry Mendeleev Aleksandr Menshikov Vsevolod Meyerhold Ivan Michurin Nikita Mikhalkov Sergey Mikhalkov Nikolay Miklukho-Maklay Artyom Mikoyan Anastas Mikoyan Kuzma Minin and Count Dmitry Pozharsky Andrey Mironov Sergey Mironov Igor Moiseev Vyacheslav Molotov Aleksey Mordashov Nonna Mordyukova Savva Morozov Vera Mukhina Modest Mussorgsky Anastasia Myskina

O Bulat Okudzhava Oleg Veshchy (The Prophet) Princess Olga of Kiev Grigory Ordzhonikidze Grigory Orlov Aleksey Orlov (Chesmensky) Lyubov Orlova Nikolay Ostrovsky Aleksandr Ostrovsky Alexander Ovechkin The Ovechkin Family Sergey Ozhegov

P Nikita Panin Ivan Papanin Boris Pasternak Paul I Ivan Pavlov Yakov Pavlov Anna Pavlova Viktor Pelevin Grigory Perelman Dmitry Peskov Peter II Peter III Peter I the Great Marius Petipa Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin Mikhail Piotrovsky Dmitry Pisarev Kira Plastinina Vyacheslav Plehve Georgy Plekhanov Fyodor Plevako Maya Plisetskaya Ivan Poddubny Nikolay Podgorny Aleksandr Pokryshkin Boris Polevoy (Kampov) Dzhokhan Pollyeva Georgy Poltavchenko Vladimir Potanin Grigory Potyomkin Vladimir Pozner Mikhail Prokhorov Sergey Prokofiev Emelyan Pugachev Alla Pugacheva Aleksandr Pushkin Vladimir Putin

S Viktor Sadovnichy Marat Safin Nikas Safronov Andrey Sakharov Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin Darya Saltykova Tanya Savicheva Aleksey Savrasov Alfred Schnittke Aleksandr Scriabin Dinara Safina Igor Sechin Pyotr Semyonov-Tyan-Shansky Saint Seraphim of Sarov Anatoly Serdyukov Kirill Serebrennikov Valentin Serov Mintimer Shaimiev Varlam Shalamov Maria Sharapova Aleksey Shchusev Eduard Shevardnadze Yury Shevchuk Ivan Shishkin Sergey Shmatko Sergey Shoigu Mikhail Sholokhov Dmitry Shostakovich Sergey Shoygu The Shparos Vasily Shukshin Klavdia Shulzhenko Vasily Shuysky Igor Sikorsky Denis Simachev Nikolay Sklifosovsky Ksenia Sobchak Anatoly Sobchak Sergey Sobyanin Fyodor Sologub Sergey Solovyov Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn Maria Spiridonova Sergius of Radonezh (Sergey Radonezhsky) Aleksey Stakhanov Joseph Stalin Konstantin Stanislavsky Pyotr Stolypin Igor Stravinsky Eduard Streltsov Arkady and Boris Strugatsky Pavel Sukhoi Vasily Surikov Ivan Susanin Aleksandr Suvorov Yakov Sverdlov Georgy Sviridov

U Galina Ulanova Fyodor Ushakov Vladimir Ustinov Tatyana Ustinova Leonid Utyosov

V Evgeny Vakhtangov Nikolai Valuev Viktor Vasnetsov Nikolay Vavilov Vasily Vereshchagin Aleksandr Vertinsky Galina Vishnevskaya Vladimir I Vladimir Monomakh (Monomachus) Anastassia Volochkova Kliment Voroshilov Mikhail Vrubel Pyotr Vyazemsky Vladimir Vysotsky

W Sergei Witte Ferdinand (Fyodor) Wrangel Pyotr Wrangel

Y Aleksandr Yakovlev Yaroslav the Wise Lev Yashin Evgeny Yasin Sergey Yastrzhembsky Grigoriy Yavlinsky Yegorov and Kantaria Grigory Yeliseev Boris Yeltsin Yermak Timofeevich Evgeny Yevtushenko Valentin Yudashkin Salavat Yulayev Valentin Yumashev Igor Yurgens Nikolay Yusupov