Performing arts russian

Actors

Yul Brynner

Nikita Mikhalkov

• Vera Alentova, known for her leading role in the famous 1980 Soviet drama Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears
• Sergei Bodrov Jr., played lead roles in several popular movies, son of playwright, actor, director and producer Sergei Bodrov
• Sergei Bondarchuk, acted in and directed the Academy Award winning 1965 film production of War and Peace
• Yul Brynner, won the Academy Award for best actor in the 1956 film The King and I
• Armen Dzhigarkhanyan, played in more than 170 films, according to IMDb, founded his own theater in Moscow
• Leonid Filatov, received many awards, including the Russian Federation State Prize and People's Artist of Russia in 1996
• Milla Jovovich, actress, model, and musician, best known for her role in the widely popular Resident Evil movies
• Lila Kedrova, winner of the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1964 for he role as Mme Hortense in Zorba the Greek.
• Nikita Mikhalkov, co-wrote, directed and acted in the Academy Award winning film Burnt by the Sun
• Yevgeny Morgunov, actor, best known as Experienced (Byvaly), a member of an antihero comic trio in a series of films by Leonid Gaidai
• Solomon Mikhoels, Soviet Jewish actor and the artistic director of the Moscow State Jewish Theater
• Yury Nikulin, drama and comic actor, best known for his comic roles such as Fool (Balbes), a member of an antihero comic trio in a series of films by Leonid Gaidai, clown and eventually a director at Moscow's Tsvetnoy Boulevard Circus
• Vyacheslav Ivanovich "Slava" Polunin, performance artist and clown creator of the stage spectacles, Asisyai-revue, Slava's Snowshow and Diabolo.
• Lubov Orlova, theatre actress and gifted singer, the first recognized star of Soviet cinema
• Arkady Raikin, stand-up comedian who led the school of Soviet and Russian humorists for about half a century
• Georgy Vitsin, comic actor, best known for his comic roles such as Trus (Coward), a member of an antihero comic trio in a series of films by Leonid Gaidai
• Fyodor Volkov, 18th century actor and founder of the first permanent Russian theater
• Leonid Utyosov, a famous Soviet jazz singer and comic actor, the first pop singer to be awarded the title of People's Artist of the USSR
• Natalie Wood, three-time Academy Award nominee, winner of the Golden Globe Award for her role in the TV series From Here to Eternity

Theatre directors

Konstantin Stanislavski

• Michael Chekhov, Russian-American actor, director, author, and theatre practitioner, nephew of Anton Chekhov
• Anatoly Efros, famous Russian and Soviet theatre director, collaborated with the stage director Yury Lyubimov
• Gerasim Lebedev, pioneer of Indology, founded the first European-style drama theater in India
• Yury Lyubimov, Soviet and Russian stage actor and director associated with the Taganka Theatre which he founded
• Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko, theatre director, writer, pedagogue, playwright, producer, and co-founder of the Moscow Art Theatre
• Konstantin Stanislavski, famous actor, theatre director, creator of a widely used system of acting, and co-founder of the Moscow Art Theatre
• Yevgeny Vakhtangov, friend and mentor of Michael Chekhov, founded the Vakhtangov Theatre
• Fyodor Volkov, actor and founder of the first permanent Russian theater

Film directors and animators

Sergei Eisenstein

Eldar Ryazanov

Ladislas Starevich

• Fyodor Bondarchuk, director of the acclaimed film The 9th Company, son of Sergei Bondarchuk
• Grigori Chukhrai, Academy Award nominee for Best Original Screenplay for the film Ballad of a Soldier
• Pavel Chukhrai, Academy Award nominee for Best Foreign Language Film for The Thief
• Georgi Daneliya, Soviet/Georgian/Russian film director, among his most popular movies are Mimino and Autumn Marathon
• Alexander Dovzhenko, often cited as one of the most important early Soviet filmmakers
• Sergei Eisenstein, his work profoundly influenced early filmmakers owing to his innovative use of and writings about montage
• Vasily Goncharov, directed the first Russian feature film Defence of Sevastopol
• Leonid Gaidai, his movies broke theatre attendance records and are still some of the top-selling DVDs in Russia
• Roman Kachanov, one of the founders and leaders of Russian stop-motion animation
• Roman Kachanov Jr., director of the popular comedy Down House
• Andrei Konchalovsky, director of popular movies including Runaway Train and Tango & Cash
• Edmond Keosayan, Armenian Soviet film director and musician
• Fjodor Khitruk, one of the most influential Russian animators and animation directors
• Elem Klimov, best known for his film Come and See
• Grigori Kozintsev, known for his silent films and adaptations of Shakespeare
• Lev Kuleshov, taught at and helped establish the world's first film school (the Moscow Film School)
• Pavel Lungin, awarded the Best Director Prize at the 1990 Cannes Film Festival for the film Taxi Blues
• Aleksandr Petrov, won the Academy Award for Animated Short Film for The Old Man and the Sea
• Yakov Protazanov, one of the founding fathers of Russian cinema
• Aleksandr Ptushko, referred to as "the Soviet Walt Disney", due to his prominent early role in animation in the Soviet Union
• Vsevolod Pudovkin, director, screenwriter and actor, developed influential theories of montage
• Mikhail Romm, director and teacher, known for his film Nine Days in One Year
• Eldar Ryazanov, Soviet/Russian director famous for his comedies
• Karen Shakhnazarov, chairman of Mosfilm, one of the largest and oldest film studios in Russia
• Larisa Shepitko, wife of Elem Klimov, best known for her film The Ascent
• Vasily Shukshin, actor, writer, screenwriter and movie director who specialized in rural themes
• Alexander Sokurov, critically acclaimed director, a regular at the Cannes Film Festival
• Ladislas Starevich, Russian and French stop-motion animator who used insects and animals as his protagonists
• Andrei Tarkovsky, internationally renowned director and film theorist
• Dziga Vertov, pioneering documentary film director and writer

Ballet dancers and choreographers

Main article: Russian ballet dancers

Irina Baronova

Galina Ulanova

• Irina Baronova, ballerina, choreographer
• Mikhail Baryshnikov, ballet dancer
• Maxim Beloserkovsky, dancer
• Sergei Diaghilev, ballet impresario
• Irina Dvorovenko, ballet dancer
• Michel Fokine, choreographer, dancer
• Elizaveta Gerdt, ballerina
• Pavel Gerdt, dancer
• Alexander Godunov, ballet dancer
• Vera Karalli, ballerina and actress
• Tamara Karsavina, ballerina
• Mathilde Kschessinska, prima ballerina
• Lydia Lopokova, ballerina
• Natalia Makarova, ballerina
• Vaslav Nijinsky, ballet dancer, choreographer
• Ivan Novikoff, ballet master
• Rudolf Nureyev, ballet dancer
• Valery Panov, ballet dancer, choreographer
• Anna Pavlova, ballerina
• Maya Plisetskaya, ballerina
• Olga Preobrajenska, ballerina
• Yuri Soloviev, ballet dancer
• Galina Ulanova, ballerina
• Agrippina Vaganova, ballet teacher
• Vera Volkova, ballerina

Classical composers and musicians

Main article: Russian composers

Alexander Borodin

Valery Gergiev

Mikhail Glinka

Mussorgsky

Prokofiev

Mstislav Rostropovich

Dmitri Shostakovich

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

• Alexander Vasilyevich Alexandrov, composer
• Achilles Alferaki, composer
• Alexander Alyabyev, composer
• Anton Arensky, composer
• Boris Asafiev, composer
• Mily Balakirev, composer
• Boris Berezovsky, pianist
• Alexander Borodin, composer
• Sergei Bortkiewicz, composer
• Dmytro Bortniansky, composer
• Valeri Brainin, composer, musical scientist
• César Cui, composer
• Alexander Dargomyzhsky, composer
• Edison Denisov, composer
• Andrei Diev, pianist
• Michael L. Geller, composer, viola player
• Valery Gergiev, pianist, conductor
• Emil Gilels, pianist
• Alexander Glazunov, composer
• Mikhail Glinka, composer of Russlan and Ludmilla
• Alexander Goedicke, composer
• Nikolai Golovanov, conductor
• Alexander Gretchaninoff, composer
• Vladimir Horowitz, pianist
• Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov
• Dmitry Kabalevsky
• Vasily Kalinnikov
• Aram Khachaturian
• Tikhon Khrennikov, composer
• Kyril Kondrashin, conductor
• Leonid Kogan, violinist
• Anatoly Konstantinovich Lyadov, composer
• Sergei Lyapunov, composer
• Nikolai Medtner, composer, pianist
• Modest Mussorgsky, composer of Boris Godunov, Pictures at an Exhibition
• Nikolai Myaskovsky, composer
• Mikhail Pletnev, composer
• Gregor Piatigorsky, composer
• Sergei Prokofiev, composer
• Sergei Rachmaninoff, pianist, composer, conductor
• Vadim Repin, violinist
• Sviatoslav Richter, pianist
• Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, composer
• Mstislav Rostropovich, cellist, conductor
• Gennady Rozhdestvensky, composer
• Nikolai Rubinstein, pianist, conductor and composer
• Vasily Ilyich Safonov, composer and music educator
• Alfred Schnittke, composer
• Alexander Scriabin, composer and pianist
• Dmitri Shostakovich, composer
• Igor Stravinsky, composer
• Alexander Serov, composer
• Rodion Shchedrin, composer
• Vissarion Shebalin, composer
• Regina Spektor, musician
• Georgy Sviridov, composer
• Andrei Sychra, composer
• Aleksandr Taneyev, composer
• Sergey Taneyev, composer
• Mikael Tariverdiev, composer
• Pyotr Tchaikovsky, composer
• Boris Tchaikovsky, composer
• Alexander Tcherepnin, composer
• Galina Ustvolskaya, composer
• Maxim Vengerov, violinist
• Ivan Vïshnegradsky, composer

Opera and choir singers

Main article: Russian opera singers

Feodor Chaliapin

• Nikolay Baskov, opera singer
• Evgeny Belyaev, singer
• Feodor Chaliapin, opera singer
• Anna Netrebko, opera singer
• Vladimir Rosing, singer, director
• Elizabeth Sandunova, opera singer
• Dmitri Hvorostovsky, opera singer

Modern musicians and singers

Eduard Khil

• Sasha Argov (1914–95), composer
• Eduard Khil (1934-2012), singer
• Yuri Antonov, composer, singer
• Dima Bilan, singer
• Tatyana Bulanova, singer
• Lena Katina, singer
• Sergey Lazarev, vocalist
• Origa, singer, performs theme songs for various anime series
• Natalia O'Shea, linguist, songwriter, musician (Irish harp, guitar), vocalist and leader of the bands Melnitsa (folk-rock) and Clann Lir (traditional Celtic folk)
• Aleksandra Pakhmutova, composer
• Alla Pugacheva, singer and composer
• Regina Spektor, musician
• Viktor Tsoy, poet, composer, musician, actor in the 1980s
• Yulia Volkova, singer

Radio and TV people

Igor Kirillov

Ivan Urgant

Anatoly Wasserman

• Joe Adamov, journalist and presenter on Radio Moscow and its successor the Voice of Russia for over 60 years
• Nikolai Fomenko, musician, comic actor, showman and motor racer, president of Marussia Motors company which produces the first Russian supercar, Marussia
• Maxim Galkin, parodist, singer and host for the Russian adaptations of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and The Million Pound Drop
• Igor Kirillov, for 30 years a news anchor of the Soviet Central Television's prime time news program Vremya
• Mikhail Leontyev, political pundit on national TV Channel One, host and author of the program Odnako
• Vladislav Listyev, arguably the most renown Russian journalist and TV anchor in the 1980s and 1990s, the first director of the Channel One, founder of the Pole Chudes and other popular TV shows
• Alexander Maslyakov, for over 45 years the host for the humour game show KVN
• Yevgeny Petrosyan, popular stand-up comedian and host of a number of humour TV shows
• Vladimir Posner, political pundit and host on radio and TV, for many years working in the United States, Soviet Union and Russia
• Yuri Senkevich, participant of Thor Heyerdahl's voyages, anchorman of the Travelers' Club show for the record 30 years
• Kseniya Sobchak, TV celebrity, host for a number of popular programs, Russia's "It girl" and "Russia's Paris Hilton"
• Roman Trakhtenberg, actor, popular host of humour shows on radio and TV, an expert on Russian jokes
• Vladimir Turchinsky, bodybuilder, TV and radio presenter, actor and singer
• Ivan Urgant, showman and actor, host of many popular Russian TV shows and ceremonies, such as Projectorparishilton and 2009 Eurovision Song Contest
• Vladimir Voroshilov, author, producer and anchorman of the intellectual game show What? Where? When?
• Leonid Yakubovich, actor and TV anchorman, the host for the Pole Chudes show for 20 years
• Anatoly Wasserman, erudite, journalist and political pundit, a frequent winner of intellectual TV games such as What? Where? When? and Svoya Igra (Russian version of Jeopardy!), Russian internet meme
• Mikhail Zadornov, stand-up comedian and writer, particularly famous for his satirical comparisons of Russians and nationals of other countries, especially Americans

Fashion models

Oxana Fedorova

Natalia Vodianova

• Irina Antonenko, Miss Russia 2010
• Oxana Fedorova, Miss Universe
• Ksenia Kahnovich
• Polina Kouklina
• Tatiana Kovylina
• Irina Kulikova
• Elena Melnik
• Irina Pantaeva
• Colette Pechekhonova
• Sasha Pivovarova, Supermodel
• Natasha Polevshchikova, Supermodel
• Vlada Roslyakova
• Anna Selezneva
• Irina Shaykhlislamova
• Katja Shchekina
• Natasha Stefanenko, model and actress
• Daria Strokous
• Tatiana Sorokko, Supermodel
• Tatiana Usova
• Natalia Vodianova, Supermodel
• Eugenia Volodina
• Anne Vyalitsyna
• Valentina Zelyaeva
• Inna Zobova

Sportspeople

Main article: List of Russian sportspeople

Basketball

• David Blatt, US college & Israeli professional guard; coach in Israel & Russia, Russian national basketball team^[1]
• Alexander Gomelsky, head coach of USSR national team for 30 years, including victory in 1988 Summer Olympics, Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, FIBA Hall of Fame
• Andrei Kirilenko, NBA basketball player
• Kirill Pishchalnikov, PBL, NCAA, basketball player
• Seth Daigle, Amateur Basketball Player, Not in any league, due to lack of talent, basketball player

Boxers

Natascha Ragosina

• Louis Kaplan ("Kid Kaplan"), world champion featherweight boxer, Hall of Fame
• Oleg Maskaev, professional boxer, former WBC Heavyweight Champion
• Natascha Ragosina, boxing world champion
• Alexander Povetkin, Olympic Gold medalist
• Shamil Sabirov, Russia, Olympic Gold medalist light flyweight
• Kostya Tszyu, professional boxer, former Undisputed Junior Welterweight champion
• Nikolai Valuev, professional boxer, former two-time WBA Heavyweight champion
• Dmitry Pirog, professional boxer, WBO Middleweight Champion

Chess players

Main article: Russian chess players

• Alexander Alekhine
• Yuri Averbakh
• Liudmila Belavenets
• Mark Bluvshtein
• Vitaly Chekhover
• Mikhail Chigorin
• Mikhail Botvinnik
• Maxim Dlugy
• Yakov Estrin
• Semen Furman
• Ilya Gurevich
• Anatoly Karpov
• Garry Kasparov
• Alexander Khalifman
• Victor Korchnoi
• Alexander Kotov
  
  

  

  Vladimir Kramnik
• Vladimir Kramnik
• Ljuba Kristol
• Alla Kushnir
• Anatoly Lein
• Grigory Levenfish
• Irina Levitina
• Vladimir Liberzon
• Andor Lilienthal
• Vadim Milov
• Jacob Murey
• Alexander Petrov
• Lev Psakhis
• Ilya Rabinovich
• Vyacheslav Ragozin
• Michael Roiz
• Peter Romanovsky
• Emmanuel Schiffers
• Leonid Shamkovich
• Vasily Smyslov
• Boris Spassky
• Peter Svidler
• Mark Taimanov
• Leonid Yudasin

Fencers

• Maria Mazina, épée fencer, Olympic Gold medalist, bronze
• Mark Midler, foil fencer, 2-time Olympic champion
• Mark Rakita, saber fencer, 2-time Olympic champion, 2-time silver
• Yakov Rylsky, saber fencer, Olympic champion
• Sergey Sharikov, sabre fencer, two-time Olympic Gold medalist, silver, bronze
• Eduard Vinokurov, sabre fencer, 2-time Olympic Gold medalist, silver

Figure skaters

Evgeny Plushenko

Irina Slutskaya

• Ilya Averbukh, ice dancer, Olympic silver
• Ludmila Belousova, two-time Olympic pairs champion
• Ekaterina Gordeeva, two-time Olympic pairs champion
• Aleksandr Gorelik, pair skater, Olympic silver, World Championship 2-time silver, bronze
• Sergei Grinkov, two-time Olympic pairs champion
• Gennadi Karponossov, Olympic champion, 2-time World Champion, silver, 2-time bronze, ice dancer & coach
• Evgeny Plushenko, 2006 Olympic champion
• Oleg Protopopov, two-time Olympic pairs champion
• Irina Slutskaya, two-time World Champion, 3-time silver, bronze, Olympic silver, bronze
• Maxim Staviski, World Champion ice dancer, silver, bronze^[2]
• Alexei Urmanov, 1994 Olympic champion
• Alexei Yagudin, 2002 Olympic champion

Gymnasts

Alina Kabaeva

• Nikolai Andrianov, gymnast, world record for men for most Olympic medals
• Yanina Batyrchina, Olympic silver gymnast
• Yelena Davydova, Olympic gymnast
• Maria Filatova, Olympic gymnast
• Alina Kabaeva, Olympic gymnast
• Svetlana Khorkina, Olympic gymnast. Known for her diva-like behavior. She is the most decorated gymnast though.
• Yevgeniya Kanayeva, Olympic gymnast.
• Sofia Muratova, Olympic gymnast
• Alexei Nemov, Olympic gymnast
• Natalia Shaposhnikova, Olympic gymnast
• Yelena Shushunova, Olympic gymnast
• Irina Tchachina, Olympic gymnast
• Alexander Tkachyov, Olympic gymnast

Ice hockey players

Viacheslav Fetisov

• Maxim Afinogenov, NHL star
• Yevgeny Babich, Olympic gold medalist
• Ilya Bryzgalov, Phoenix Coyotes Goalie. Current NHL star.
• Pavel Bure, NHL star
• Valeri Bure
• Pavel Datsyuk, NHL star
• Vitaly Davydov, 3-time Olympic gold medalist, World & European champion 1963–71, runner-up 1972
• Sergei Gonchar, NHL star
• Sergei Fedorov, NHL star
• Viacheslav Fetisov
• Nikolai Khabibulin, NHL star goalie
  
  

  

  Valeri Kharlamov
• Valeri Kharlamov, international ice hockey player
• Vladimir Konstantinov
• Ilya Kovalchuk, NHL star
• Alexei Kovalev
• Vyacheslav Kozlov
• Alfred Kuchevsky, Olympic champion 1956, bronze 1960; twice world champion.
• Oleg Kvasha
• Igor Larionov
  
  

  

  Vladislav Tretiak
• Evgeni Malkin, NHL superstar
• Sergei Makarov
• Andrei Markov
• Boris Mikhailov
• Alexander Ovechkin, NHL superstar
• Alexander Radulov, KHL superstar
• Semyon Varlamov, NHL Goalie
• Vladimir Vladimirovich Petrov
• Alexei Ponikarovsky
• Alexander Semin, NHL star
• Vladislav Tretiak, goalie
• Alexander Yakushev
• Alexie Yashin forward
• Yevgeni Zimin Olympic champion 1968–72, World & European champion 1968–69, 1971
• Viktor Zinger, Olympic champion 1968; world champion 1965–69
• Sergei Zubov

Soccer players

Andrei Arshavin

• Igor Akinfeev, goalkeeper
• Dmitri Alenichev, midfielder
• Andrei Arshavin, midfielder, striker
• Vladimir Beschastnykh, striker
• Konstantin Beskov, striker, coach
• Valentin Bubukin, midfielder, coach
• Valentin Ivanov Sr., striker, coach
• Gavriil Kachalin, midfielder, coach
• Andrei Kanchelskis, midfielder
• Valery Karpin, midfielder, coach
• Dmitri Kharine, goalkeeper
• Aleksandr Mostovoi, midfielder
  
  

  

  Lev Yashin
• Igor Netto, defender, coach
• Viktor Onopko, defender
• Sergei Ovchinnikov, goalkeeper, coach
• Roman Pavlyuchenko, striker
• Boris Razinsky, goalkeeper/striker, Olympic Gold medal, manager
• Oleg Salenko, striker
• Mordechai Spiegler, striker
• Eduard Streltsov, midfielder, striker
• Andrey Tikhonov, midfielder
• Lev Yashin, voted the best goalkeeper of the 20th century by the IFFHS.^[3]
• Valery Voronin, midfielder
• Yuri Zhirkov, defender, midfielder

Tennis players

Anna Kournikova

• Andrei Chesnokov, former top 10 player
• Nikolay Davydenko, former consistent top 10 player
• Elena Dementieva, reached 2 Grand Slam finals in 2004 (French Open and U.S. Open), Silver Medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics and Gold Medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics
• Yevgeny Kafelnikov, former world no. 1 tennis player
• Maria Kirilenko, winner of 5 WTA Titles
• Anna Kournikova, former top 10 tennis player, celebrity, and model
• Svetlana Kuznetsova, former world no. 2 tennis player. Won the 2004 U.S. Open and 2009 French Open
• Olga Morozova, former world top 10 tennis player, reached 2 Grand Slam finals in 1974 (French Open and Wimbledon), winner of French Open doubles in the same year
• Anastasia Myskina, former world no. 2 tennis player. Won the 2004 French Open (becoming the first Russian woman to win a grand slam title)
  
  

  

  Maria Sharapova
• Nadia Petrova, former top 3 tennis player
• Marat Safin, former world no. 1 tennis player. Won 2000 U.S. Open and 2005 Australian Open.
• Dinara Safina, former world no. 1 ladies tennis player
• Maria Sharapova, former world no. 1 tennis player. Won 2004 Wimbledon at age of 17 as well as 2006 U.S. Open and 2008 Australian Open
• Mikhail Youzhny, tennis player
• Vera Zvonareva, 2 time Grand Slam finalist

Weightlifters

• Vasily Alexeev, Olympic weightlifter, set 80 World Records
• Yuri Vlasov, weightlifter, 1960 Olympic Gold medalist
• Arkady Vorobyov, weightlifter, two-time Olympic Gold medalist
• Leonid Zhabotinsky, weightlifter, two-time Olympic Gold medalist

Other sportspeople

Fedor Emelianenko

• Evgeny Abalakov, mountaineer, made the first ascent of the highest point of the Soviet Union – Stalin Peak (later renamed)
• Vitaly Abalakov, mountaineer, given several Soviet sporting awards
• Inga Artamonova, 4-time world all-around speed skating champion
• Semyon Belits-Geiman (born 1945), Olympic freestyle swimmer
• Yuriy Borzakovskiy, track and field athlete, 2004 Olympic Gold medalist
• Anatoli Boukreev, mountaineer, 18 successful ascents on peaks above 8000 m
• Ivan Demidov, professional poker player with over 6,000,000$ in tournament winnings
• Fedor Emelianenko, The Heavyweight Champion of the W.A.M.M.A and the last holder of the Heavyweight champion of Pride Fighting Championships
  
  

  

  Alexander Karelin
• Anastasia Gloushkov, Russian-born Israeli Olympic synchronized swimmer
• Boris Maksovich Gurevich, Olympic wrestling champion (Greco-Roman flyweight), 2-time world champion
• Yelena Isinbayeva, pole vaulter, two-time Olympic Gold medalist
• Maria Leontyavna Itkina, world-record-holding runner
• Anastasiya Kapachinskaya, sprinter, 2008 Olympic Silver medalist
• Svetlana Kapanina, six times Champion in aerobatics at World Air Games, more than any other woman
• Alexander Karelin, Greco-Roman wrestling, champion
• Alex Kravchenko, professional poker player, first Russian to win a World Series of Poker bracelet
• Svetlana Krivelyova, shot putter, 1992 Olympic Gold medalist
• Joe Magidsohn, American football halfback
• Mikhail Mamistov, powered and glider aerobatic pilot
• Natalya Nazarova, sprinter, winner of two Olympic medals
• Vitaly Petrov, Formula 1 driver, currently drives for Lotus Renault GP
• Roho (Soslan Boradzov), Sumo wrestler, obtained the rank of Komusubi
• Nina Romashkova, discus thrower, the first Soviet Olympic Champion
• Lidia Skoblikova, speed skater, most Olympic medals in speed skating
• Lev Vainshtein, Olympic-medal-winning shooter

Legendary and folk heroes

Dobrynya Nikitich, Ilya Muromets and Alyosha Popovich

• Alyosha Popovich, young and cunning bogatyr of priest origin, defeated the dragon Tugarin Zmeyevich by trickery
• Baba Yaga, a witch-like character in Russian folklore, flies around on a giant mortar and lives in the cabin on chicken legs
• Dobrynya Nikitich, bogatyr of noble origin, defeated the dragon Zmey Gorynych
• Ilya Muromets, bogatyr of peasant origin, saint, the greatest of all the legendary bogatyrs, defeated the forest-dwelling monster Nightingale the Robber, defended Rus' from numerous attacks by the steppe people
• Ivan Tsarevich, typical noble protagonist of Russian fairy tales, often engaged in a struggle with Koschei and rescuing young girls
• Ivan the Fool, typical simple-minded but lucky protagonist of Russian fairy tales
• Koschei "the Deathless", chief male antagonist of Russian fairy tales, an ugly senile sorceror and kidnapper of young maids, possesses immortality
• Nikita the Furrier, a town craftsman who released the daughter of Prince Vladimir the Fair Sun from the dragon's captivity
• Sadko, musician and merchant from Veliky Novgorod, procured wealth and wife from the Sea Tsar by playing gusli
• Svyatogor, giant "sacred mountain" bogatyr, passed his strength to Ilya Muromets
• Vasilisa the Beautiful, young, attractive and often cunning heroine of Russian fairy tales