The Russian historical figures you should know

If we take a look at the history of Russia, we immediately realize that many characters of the country have achieved international fame, such as Aleksandr Pushkin, Vasili Kandinsky, Leon Tolstoy or Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. So In this article will discuss the Russian historical figures you should know.

Let’s review the best-known historical figures of Russia and the popular culture of the country.

The Russian historical figures you should know

Let’s start with the imperial history of Russia and Ivan the Terrible , a very relevant character who marked the beginning of Russian Tsarism. Later, in chronological order, we meet Peter I of Russia, also known as Peter the Great, a supporter of absolutism who became Tsar in 1682 and who, years later, was Emperor of all the Russias, supremely, in 1721.

Nor should we forget Catherine II of Russia, Catherine the Great, who became Empress of all the Russias in 1762 and was part of the Romanov dynasty. Finally, Nicholas II, or “Nicholas the Pacific” was the last Tsar in Russian history, and reigned from 1894 to 1917, the date on which the revolution began.

The name by which many know Russia is “the land of the tsars.”

After the tsars, with the arrival of the Russian Revolution, led by Lenin , the best-known revolutionary in Russia (or even the world), instigator of the Communist International and theorist of Marxism. Next we find Stalin in the Soviet Union, with the creation of the Gulag. Mikhail Gorbachev is also considered a historical figure, as he was the last president of the USSR, before its fall in 1991: he was the creator of perestroika and glasnost , two policies of economic, cultural and political liberalization.

Politically, Russia is considered a Federal Republic with a militant president of a single (communist) party working in the Kremlin.

Other historical figures that we should not forget , especially in the field of art and literature, are:

• Aleksandr Pushkin , considered the founder of modern Russian literature.
• Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol , a Russian classical writer of Ukrainian origin.
• Rasputin, Russian Orthodox patriarch and healer.
• Andrei Dmitrievich Sakharov , an activist for human rights and democratic freedoms.