Top 10 Greatest Russians of All Time

The Top Ten

  1. Peter the Great

    Peter I (born June 9, 1672 - February 8, 1725), known as Peter the Great, was the Tsar of all Russia from 1682 and the first Emperor of all Russia from 1721 until his death in 1725. He reigned jointly with his half-brother Ivan V until 1696. From that year, Peter was an absolute monarch, an autocrat... read more

    He was the catalyst who brought Russia, then a medieval state, to the forefront of the Western powers of the day. His unswerving program of westernization was driven by his vision and daring.

    He made Russia great! The greatest ruler in the world! He lifted Russia from the medieval ages and defeated the greatest European army of that time - the Swedish army led by Carl XII.

    The work this single man accomplished is incredible!

  2. Fyodor Dostoevsky

    Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky, sometimes transliterated as Dostoyevsky, was a Russian novelist, short-story writer, essayist, and journalist.

    He is best known for exploring human psychology within the troubled political, social, and spiritual atmosphere of 19th-century Russia. His major works... read more

    Only Shakespeare surpasses the ability to describe the human condition as well and with such depth of insight as Dostoevsky. A patriot, a Christian, and a humanist.

  3. Leo Tolstoy

    Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy, usually referred to in English as Leo Tolstoy, was a Russian writer regarded as one of the greatest authors of all time.

    His notable works include War and Peace and Anna Karenina, which are considered two of the finest novels ever written. Tolstoy also became... read more

    Tolstoy and Tchaikovsky are the ultimate best.

  4. Alexander Pushkin

    Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin (June 6 [O.S. May 26], 1799 - February 10 [O.S. January 29], 1837) was a Russian poet, playwright, and novelist of the Romantic era. He is widely regarded as the greatest Russian poet and is credited with founding modern Russian literature. His major works include Eugene... read more

  5. Mikhail Gorbachev

    Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev (March 2, 1931 - August 30, 2022) was a Russian politician and statesman who served as the last leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 until its dissolution in 1991. Before his death at age 91, he received the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in ending the Cold War. His policies... read more

    Gorbachev tried to save an economically crippled USSR with his reforms. It wasn't his fault that Yeltsin stabbed him in the back and let down the people of the Soviet Union. Come on, people!

    His reform was similar to Deng Xiaoping's, allowing the Soviet Union to trade with other countries.

  6. Pyotr Tchaikovsky

    Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, born on May 7, 1840, was a Russian composer during the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music made a lasting impression internationally. His most famous works include the ballets Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker.

    He made brilliant music for ballet shows like The Nutcracker and Swan Lake. Greatest Russian ever!

    He made ballet what it is.

    Nice classical music.

  7. Catherine the Great

    Catherine II, born Princess Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst on May 2, 1729, is most commonly known as Catherine the Great. She reigned as the Empress of Russia from 1762 until her death on November 17, 1796. Catherine came to power after overthrowing her husband, Peter III.

  8. Vyacheslav Butusov

    He is the best.

  9. Dmitri Mendeleev

    Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev was a Russian chemist and inventor. He is best known for formulating the Periodic Law and creating a farsighted version of the periodic table of elements, which predicted the properties of elements yet to be discovered. Mendeleev's table laid the foundation for modern chemistry... read more

    Mendeleev brought coherence to chemistry research and its educational delivery. He organized the foundational document of biological research, materials science, and countless innovations - past, present, and yet to come. Try saying that about a politician! His global impact has been far more lasting than communism or any political system.

  10. Yuri Gagarin

    Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin was a Soviet pilot and cosmonaut. Rocketing into the annals of history, he became the first human to orbit Earth in 1961 aboard Vostok 1. His pioneering journey, lasting 108 minutes, ushered in a new era of space exploration and solidified his status as a global icon.

    First man in space. Enough said.

    First human in space.

    11. The Newcomers
  11. ?

    Alexander Borodin

  12. ?

    Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

    13. The Contenders

  13. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

    Aleksandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn (December 11, 1918 - August 3, 2008) was a Soviet and Russian novelist, historian, dissident, and former political prisoner. He was a vocal critic of political repression in the Soviet Union. Solzhenitsyn helped raise international awareness of the Soviet Gulag forced-labor... read more

  14. Alexander Nevsky

  15. Alexander Suvorov

  16. Alexander I

  17. Georgy Zhukov

    Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov (December 1, 1896 - June 18, 1974) was a Soviet general and Marshal of the Soviet Union. He served as Chief of the General Staff and Minister of Defence and was a member of the Presidium of the Communist Party, later known as the Politburo. During the Second World War, Zhukov... read more

    Absolute gigachad. Defeated the Nazis and made Stalin scared of him.

  18. Vladimir Lenin

    Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov (April 22, 1870 - January 21, 1924), better known as Vladimir Lenin, was a Russian revolutionary, politician, and political theorist. He served as the first head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 to 1924 and of the Soviet Union from 1922 to 1924. Under his leadership, Russia... read more

    He founded the Soviet Union and ended the chaotic reign of the Tsar, overthrowing a dynasty that included figures like Catherine the Great.

    A hero who led the people of Russia and the world to freedom.

    Papa Lenin, founder of the Soviet Union.

  19. Stanislav Petrov

    Stanislav Petrov was a Soviet Air Defense officer who played a crucial role in preventing a potential nuclear war on September 26, 1983. By correctly identifying a false alarm in the Soviet missile detection system, he avoided a retaliatory strike against the United States. Due to his actions during... read more

  20. Anton Chekhov

    Anton Pavlovich Chekhov, born on January 29, 1860, and died on July 15, 1904, was a Russian playwright and short-story writer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest writers of short fiction in history. Chekhov's work as a playwright produced four major plays: The Seagull, Uncle Vanya, Three Sisters... read more

    Pretty good.

  21. Vladimir Putin

    Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (born October 7, 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who is currently serving as the president of Russia, a position he has held since 2012. He previously served as president from 2000 to 2008 and was prime minister from 1999 to 2000, and again from... read more

    I support Vladimir Putin, under whose watch the oligarchs are put in check (if not outright arrested), and the Russian army regains the ability to project power on a global scale. The quality of life in Russia is on the rise, with new military technologies being developed. All national debt is paid off (Russia's debt level is now 3-5%). Under Putin, the Russian economy is not collapsing despite coordinated economic sanctions. There are new developments in the economy and space technologies, and the Russian population has started growing.

    The reason why Russians love Putin is because he took Russia out of recession and shock economic therapy. He turned the economy around and made Russia a great power again.

    The USA, NATO, and the EU want Russia to be down and reliant on the EU and USA, subservient to their will. This is why the IMF gave Russia loans in the early 1990s - these loans were designed to keep Russia's economy down and prevent it from recovering after the USSR split up.

    Putin turned all of that around and has helped Russians take pride again in their country.

  22. Laika

  23. Vladimir Vysotsky

  24. Leonid Brezhnev

    Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev (December 19, 1906 - November 10, 1982) was a Soviet politician who served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1964 until his death in 1982. He also served as Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet (head of state) from 1960 to 1964 and... read more

  25. Mikhail Lomonosov

  26. Viktor Tsoi

  27. Joseph Stalin

    Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was a Georgian revolutionary who led the Soviet Union from the mid-1920s until his death on March 5, 1953. He held the title of General Secretary of the Communist Party's Central Committee, which gave him effective control over the Soviet state. His rule was marked by rapid... read more

    Destroyed the Nazi invader! Our leader had faith in the people.

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