Who do you consider the most worthy example and inspiration for yourself personally? Martin Luther King Jr., Yuri Gagarin, or maybe your grandfather? Our world has been forming for several millennia, and a lot of historical figures took part in this difficult process, who made their invaluable contribution to science, culture and many other spheres of life, both in their countries and all of humanity. It is very difficult and almost impossible to choose those whose influence was the most significant. However, the authors of this list still decided to try and collect in one publication the most inspiring personalities in the history of world civilizations. Some of them are known to everyone, others are not known to everyone, but they all have one thing in common - these people have changed our world for the better. From the Dalai Lama to Charles Darwin, here are 25 of the most outstanding personalities in history!

25. Charles Darwin

The famous British traveler, naturalist, geologist and biologist, Charles Darwin is best known for his theory, which changed the idea of ​​human nature and the development of the world in all its diversity. Darwin's theory of evolution and natural selection suggests that all kinds of living organisms, including humans, descended from common ancestors, and this concept shocked the entire scientific community at one time. Darwin published The Theory of Evolution, with some examples and evidence, in his revolutionary On the Origin of Species in 1859, and our world and the way we know it has changed a lot since then.

24. Tim Berners-Lee


Photo: Paul Clarke

Tim Berners-Lee is a British engineer, inventor and computer scientist, best known as the creator of the World Wide Web. He is sometimes called the "Father of the Internet" and it was Berners-Lee who developed the first hypertext web browser, web server, and web editor. The technologies of this outstanding scientist have spread worldwide and have forever changed the way information is generated and processed.

23. Nicholas Winton


Photo: cs:User:Li-sung

Nicholas Winton was a British philanthropist, and since the late 80s, he became known primarily for taking 669 Jewish children from the territory of Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia right on the eve of World War II. Winton moved all these children to British orphanages, and some of them even managed to be placed in families, which definitely saved them all from certain death in concentration camps or during the bombing. The philanthropist organized as many as 8 trains from Prague and also took the children out of Vienna, but with the help of other modes of transport. The Englishman never sought fame, and for 49 years he kept his heroic deed a secret. In 1988, Winton's wife found a notebook with records from 1939 and the addresses of the families who received the young rescuers. Since then, recognition, orders and awards have fallen upon him. Nicholas Winton died at the age of 106 in 2015.

22. Buddha Shakyamuni (Gautama Buddha)


Photo: Max Pixel

Also known as Siddhartha Gautama (from birth), Tathagata (who has come), or Bhagavan (blissful), Buddha Shakyamuni (the awakened sage of the Shakya family) was the spiritual leader and founder of Buddhism, one of the world's three leading religions. The Buddha was born in the 6th century BC into a royal family and lived in absolute isolation and luxury. When the prince matured, he left his family and all his possessions to plunge into self-discovery and seek to save humanity from suffering. After several years of meditation and contemplation, Gautama attained enlightenment and became a Buddha. Through his teachings, Shakyamuni Buddha influenced the lives of millions of people around the world.

21. Rosa Parks

Photo: wikimedia commons

Also known as the “First Lady of Civil Rights” and “the mother of the freedom movement,” Rosa Parks was a true pioneer and founder of the black rights movement in Alabama in the 1950s, where there was still a strong racial segregation of citizens in those days. In 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, a courageous African-American woman and passionate civil rights activist, Rosa Parks, refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger, disobeying the driver's orders. Her rebellious act provoked other blacks into what was later nicknamed the legendary "Montgomery Bus Boycott." This boycott lasted 381 days and became one of the key events in the history of the black civil rights movement in the United States.

20. Henry Dunant

Photo: ICRC

A successful Swiss businessman and active public figure, Henri Dunant became the first person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 1901. During a business trip in 1859, Dunant faced the terrible aftermath of the Battle of Solferino (Solferino, Italy), where the troops of Napoleon, the Kingdom of Sardinia and the Austrian Empire clashed under the leadership of Franz Joseph I, and the battlefield was left to die almost 9 thousand wounded. In 1863, in response to the horrors of war and the brutality of the fight, the entrepreneur founded the well-known International Committee of the Red Cross. Adopted in 1864, the Geneva Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded was also based on the ideas expressed by Henri Dunant.

19. Simon Bolivar

Photo: wikimedia commons

Also known as the Liberator (El Libertador), Simón Bolivar was an outstanding Venezuelan military and political leader who played a key role in the liberation from Spanish domination of as many as 6 countries of South and Central America - Venezuela, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Panama. Bolivar was born into a wealthy aristocratic family, but he devoted most of his life to military campaigns and the struggle for the independence of the Spanish colonies in America. The country of Bolivia, by the way, was named after this hero and liberator.

18. Albert Einstein

Photo: wikimedia commons

Albert Einstein is one of the most respected and influential scientists of all time. This outstanding theoretical physicist, Nobel laureate and humanist public figure gave the world over 300 scientific papers on physics and about 150 books and articles on history, philosophy and other humanitarian areas. His whole life was full of interesting research, revolutionary ideas and theories, which later became fundamental for modern science. Einstein was best known for his theory of relativity, and thanks to this work he became one of the greatest personalities in the history of mankind. Even after almost a century, this Theory continues to influence the thinking of the modern scientific community, working on the creation of the Theory of Everything (or the Unified Field Theory).

17. Leonardo da Vinci


Photo: wikimedia commons

It is difficult to describe and list all the directions in which Leonardo da Vinci succeeded, a man who changed the whole world with his mere existence. Throughout his life, this Italian Renaissance genius managed to achieve unprecedented heights in painting, and in architecture, and in music, and in mathematics, and in anatomy, and in engineering, and in many other areas. Da Vinci is recognized as one of the most versatile and talented people who ever lived on our planet, and he is the author of such revolutionary inventions as the parachute, helicopter, tank and scissors.

16. Christopher Columbus

Photo: wikimedia commons

The famous Italian explorer, traveler and colonizer, Christopher Columbus was not the first European to sail to America (after all, the Vikings had been here before him). However, his voyages launched a whole era of the most outstanding discoveries, conquests and colonizations, which lasted for several more centuries after his death. Columbus' travels to the New World greatly influenced the development of the geography of those times, because at the beginning of the 15th century people still believed that the Earth was flat, and that there were no more lands beyond the Atlantic.

15 Martin Luther King Jr.


Photo: wikimedia commons

This is one of the most influential personalities of the 20th century. Martin Luther King Jr. is best known for his peaceful movement against discrimination, racial segregation and for the civil rights of black Americans, for which he even received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. Martin Luther King Jr. was a Baptist preacher and vibrant speaker who inspired millions around the world to fight for democratic freedoms and their rights. He played a key role in promoting civil rights through peaceful protests based on the Christian faith and philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi.

14. Bill Gates

Photo: DFID – UK Department for International Development

The founder of the legendary multinational company Microsoft, Bill Gates was considered the richest man in the world for almost 20 years. More recently, however, Gates has become known primarily as a generous philanthropist, rather than for his success in business and the information technology market. At one time, Bill Gates stimulated the development of the personal computer market, making computers accessible to the most ordinary users, which is exactly what he was trying to achieve. Now he is passionate about the idea of ​​​​providing Internet access to the whole world. Gates also works on projects dedicated to combating global warming and combating gender discrimination.

William Shakespeare is considered one of the greatest writers and playwrights in the English language, and he has had a profound influence on a whole galaxy of writers, as well as on millions of readers around the world. In addition, Shakespeare introduced about 2,000 new words, most of which are still in use in modern English. With his work, the national poet of England has inspired a great many composers, artists and filmmakers from around the world.

12. Sigmund Freud

Photo: wikimedia commons

The Austrian neurologist and founder of the science of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud is famous precisely for his unique studies of the mysterious world of the human subconscious. With them, he forever changed the way we evaluate ourselves and the people around us. Freud's work influenced the psychology, sociology, medicine, art, and anthropology of the 20th century, and his therapeutic methods and theories in the field of psychoanalysis are still being studied and applied in practice.

11. Oskar Schindler

Photo: wikimedia commons

Oskar Schindler was a German entrepreneur, Nazi Party member, spy, womanizer and drinker. All this does not sound very attractive and certainly does not sound like a characterization of a real hero. However, contrary to all of the above, Schindler was on this list absolutely deservedly, because during the Holocaust and World War II, this man saved about 1,200 Jews, rescuing them from death camps to work in his plants and factories. The heroic story of Oskar Schindler has been described in many books and films, but the most famous adaptation was Steven Spielberg's 1993 film Schindler's List (Steven Spielberg, Schindler's List).

10. Mother Teresa

Photo: wikimedia commons

A Catholic nun and missionary, Mother Teresa devoted almost her entire life to serving the poor, the sick, the disabled, and orphans. She founded the charitable movement and the women's monastic congregation "Sisters of the Missionaries of Love" (Congregatio Sororum Missionarium Caritatis), which exists in almost all countries of the world (in 133 countries as of 2012). In 1979, Mother Teresa won the Nobel Peace Prize, and 19 years after her death (in 2016), she was canonized by Pope Francis himself.

9 Abraham Lincoln

Photo: wikimedia commons

Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States and one of the most influential personalities in American history. Coming from a poor farming family, Lincoln fought for the reunification of the country during the Civil War between North and South, strengthened the federal government, modernized the American economy, but he earned a reputation as an outstanding historical figure primarily for his contribution to the development of a democratic society and the fight against slavery and oppression. the black population of the USA. The legacy of Abraham Lincoln still has a defining influence on the American people.

8 Stephen Hawking


Photo: Lwp Kommunikacio / flickr

Stephen Hawking is one of the most famous and respected scientists in the world, and he has made an invaluable contribution to the development of science (especially cosmology and theoretical physics). The work of this British researcher and ardent popularizer of science is also impressive because Hawking made almost all of his discoveries despite a rare and slowly progressing degenerative disease. The first signs of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis appeared in his student years, and now the great scientist is completely paralyzed. However, a severe illness and paralysis did not prevent Hawking from marrying twice, becoming the father of two sons, flying in zero gravity, writing many books, becoming one of the founders of quantum cosmology and the winner of a whole collection of prestigious awards, medals and orders.

7. Unknown rebel


Photo: HiMY SYeD / flickr

This conditional name refers to an unknown man who independently held back a column of tanks for half an hour during the protests on Tiananmen Square (Tiananmen, China) in 1989. In those days, hundreds of protesters, most of whom were ordinary students, were killed in clashes with the military. The identity and fate of the unknown rebel remain unknown, but this photograph has become an international symbol of courage and peaceful resistance.

6. Muhammad

Photo: wikimedia commons

Muhammad was born in 570 AD in the city of Mecca (Mecca, modern Saudi Arabia). He is considered a Muslim prophet and the founder of the Islamic religion. Being not only a preacher, but also a politician, Muhammad united all the Arab peoples of those times into a single Muslim empire that conquered most of the Arabian Peninsula. The author of the Qur'an started out with a few followers, but eventually his teachings and practices formed the basis of the Islamic religion, which has become the second most popular religion in the world today, with about 1.8 billion believers.

5. Dalai Lama XIV (The 14th Dalai Lama)


Photo: wikimedia commons

Dalai Lama XIV or at birth Lhamo Dhondup (Lhamo Thondup) is a 1989 Nobel Peace Prize winner and a well-known preacher of the Buddhist philosophy of peace, professing respect for all life on Earth, and calling for the harmonious coexistence of man and nature. The former spiritual and political leader of Tibet in exile, the 14th Dalai Lama always tried to find a compromise and sought reconciliation with the Chinese authorities who invaded Tibet with territorial claims. In addition, Lhamo Dhondrub is a zealous supporter of the women's rights movement, interfaith dialogues and advocates for solving global environmental problems.

4. Princess Diana (Princess Diana)


Photo: Auguel

Also known as "Lady Di" and "The People's Princess," Princess Diana has won millions of hearts around the world with her philanthropic work, hard work, and sincerity. She devoted most of her short life to helping those in need from third world countries. The Queen of Human Hearts, as she was also called, founded the movement to stop the production and use of anti-personnel mines, and was actively involved in the activities of several dozen humanitarian campaigns and non-profit organizations, including the Red Cross, Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital (London's Great Ormond Street Hospital) and AIDS research. Lady Dee died at the age of 36 from injuries sustained in a car accident.

3. Nelson Mandela


Photo: Library of the London School of Economics and Political Science

Nelson Mandela was a South African politician, philanthropist, revolutionary, reformer, passionate human rights activist during apartheid (racial segregation policy) and President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He had a profound influence on the history of South Africa and the world. For his beliefs, Mandela spent almost 27 years in prison, but he did not lose faith in the liberation of his people from the oppression of the authorities, and after leaving prison he achieved democratic elections, as a result of which he became the first black president of South Africa. His tireless work for the peaceful overthrow of the apartheid regime and for the establishment of democracy has inspired millions of people around the world. In 1993, Nelson Mandela won the Nobel Peace Prize.

2. Jeanne d'Arc (Jeanne d "Arc)

Photo: wikimedia commons

Also known as the Maid of Orleans, Joan of Arc is the greatest heroine in French history and one of the most famous women in world history. Born into a poor farming family in 1412, she believed she had been chosen by God to lead France to victory in the Hundred Years' War with England. The girl died before the end of the war, but her courage, passion and devotion to her goal (especially during the siege of Orleans) caused a long-awaited moral upsurge and inspired the entire French army for the final victory in the protracted and seemingly hopeless confrontation with the British. Unfortunately, in the battle, the Maid of Orleans was captured by the enemies, was condemned by the Inquisition and burned at the stake at the age of 19.

1. Jesus Christ

Photo: wikimedia commons

Jesus Christ is the central figure of the Christian religion, and He has had such a strong influence on our world that He is often called the most influential and inspiring person in the history of mankind. Compassion, love for neighbors, sacrifice, humility, repentance and forgiveness, to which Jesus called in his sermons and personal example, were concepts that were absolutely opposite to the values ​​of ancient civilizations during His life on Earth. Nevertheless, today there are about 2.4 billion followers of His teachings and Christian faith in the world.

06/11/2019 at 12:09 pm VeraSchegoleva · 17 500

10 most famous people in the world who left their mark on the history of mankind

British writer JK Rowling wrote about the wizard "Harry Potter" and became famous. Charlie Chaplin became famous for his technique of playing roles.

People can become famous regardless of their social and financial status, the main thing is to find the key to people and win their hearts ... The people from the selection succeeded - they are known, remembered, loved.

The American TV presenter constantly gets on the pages of Forbes as the most influential TV star.

Oprah Winfrey is the most famous TV presenter, whose career began in 1971 with the Miss Black America pageant. Oprah was offered a job in television after the competition - and so began her career.

Achievements: a record for the number of hits in the Time magazine list; launched its own TV channel OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network); The media campaign Harpo Entertainment Group is founded, producing television programs and documentaries, etc.

8. Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein is known even to those who study for the humanities, because this man made an undeniable contribution to the history.

Einstein is the founder of the theory of relativity, he has 300 scientific papers to his credit. Albert Einstein is interesting because, despite his amazing ingenuity, he found it difficult to solve any everyday issues.

Interesting fact: Einstein studied at school with deuces and did not speak until the age of 3. As a boy, he was very secretive, did not communicate with his peers, preferring loneliness.

Achievements: on account of Einstein about 150 books in the field of philosophy and history of science; he proved the general theory of relativity; quantum theory of photoelectric effect and heat capacity; the theory of light scattering by thermodynamic fluctuations in a medium; theory of stimulated emission, etc.

7. JK Rowling

"Harry Potter" was written quite by accident - 25-year-old JK Rowling came up with the image of a wizard - a smart boy with round glasses, who became known to the whole world, and made a young Englishwoman one of.

Rowling wrote her first book for 5 years, it was completed in 1995, but it was published only a year later.

The writer used an office computer to create her works (during the breaks between working as a secretary, she wrote down interesting thoughts that came to her mind).

Achievements: a successful literary figure; a rich, distinguished woman of world renown; three times winner of the Nestle Smarties Gold Award, British Book Awards; in 2000 she was awarded the Order of the British Empire; twice recipient of the Children's Book Award, the Spanish Prince of Asturias Award.

6. Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan is an ambitious player who has achieved the status of a basketball star. Thanks to many years of training, he was able to develop a unique style of play.

Interesting fact: the athlete left the sport three times, but returned each time.

If you watch performances with Michael Jordan, you will notice that when playing, his tongue involuntarily sticks out - according to him, this habit was passed on to him from his father, which means that he is focused on the game.

Achievements: 10 NBA All-Star Team 1 picks; Most Valuable Player of the NBA Regular Championships; the best defensive player in the NBA; participant in 14 NBA All-Star Games; the most productive player of the NBA regular seasons, etc.

5. Adolf Hitler

German was faithful to anti-Marxism and under the influence of reading the works of Karl Luger (Austrian mayor) he began to hate all Jews, believing that they are "rats" who, in conjunction with the Marxists, want to destroy the world.

He believed that if the Jews were victorious over the world, humanity would come to an end.

Hitler began to despise democratic norms, he dreamed of a glorious Germany that would become a great country after the overthrow of Habsburg.

Interesting fact: Hitler loved to paint, and several of his paintings have survived. The painting "Night Sea" was sold in 2012.

Achievements: brought the country out of the crisis; united the German people; ended unemployment; contributed to the growth of industry; brought Germany to a leading position in the world in terms of economic indicators.

4. Vincent van Gogh

- an artist whose influence on world culture was appreciated after his death.

"Sunflowers" of the artist is his business card, he painted 11 paintings depicting these plants.

Van Gogh managed to sell only one painting, and experts believe that if he had not committed suicide in 1890, he would have become a very rich man.

He was able to develop his own style of decorative painting, and this style could not fail to appeal to the general public. For many years the artist was in close friendship with Paul Gauguin, because of a quarrel with whom he cut off part of his ear.

Achievements: Vinset Van Gogh is recognized as one of the most famous Dutch painters (after his death), on his account - 2100 works, an outstanding representative of post-impressionism.

3. Marilyn Monroe

An inimitable, strong woman, a magnificent talented actress excites the minds of people so far.

Norma Jean (this is her real name) had a difficult childhood, at the age of 17 she worked at the Padioplane aircraft factory.

Once at the workplace, Norma met photographer David Conover, who offered her to work as a model. The girl left the factory and began to earn money by posing. David advised the girl to apply to a modeling agency, and this was the beginning of her journey into the world of art.

Achievements: a symbol of femininity and beauty; shooting in famous Hollywood films; Golden Globe Award; American Legion Award for Performance in Korea, French Film Academy Award, etc.

2. Walt Disney

Walt Disney directed 111 Oscar-winning films with his own hands, and produced over 500 of them himself.

He founded Walt Disney Productions, which is now the powerful multimedia company The Walt Disney Company.

It was Disney who was the first cartoonist to create sound cartoons. It is difficult to imagine your childhood without his famous films "Sleeping Beauty", "", "Snow White", etc.

Achievements: creation of an amusement park "Disneyland"; creation of famous cartoons; "Oscar", which he received 26 times; 5 Golden Globes; 2 prizes at the Cannes Film Festival, etc.

1. Charlie Chaplin

Charlie Chaplin founded his own film studio, became a star of silent films and theater. Developed most of the stunts and comic shooting techniques.

As a child, Charlie Chaplin worked everywhere: he was a courier in a printing house, sold newspapers, was an orderly, helping doctors in a hospital.

At the age of 14, he got a place in the theater, in addition, as a young man he performed in a variety show, and at the age of 16 he spent the money he earned on learning to play the violin.

Everyone knows Chaplin as an eccentric guy with a painted mustache in a bowler hat - by the way, he invented the stage image for himself.

Achievements: the most famous comedian of "silent films"; winner of 2 Oscars; won many awards; on his account 84 films in which he starred, not counting episodic roles, etc.

Readers' Choice:

The turbulent twentieth century gave rise to the two most destructive wars in the history of mankind and the global redistribution of the world. In the context of world history, this was just another clash of world powers, but the events caused the emergence of the so-called lost generation and colossal human losses. It is impossible not to mention the Cold War with former allies and many local conflicts.

A revolution thundered in Russia that ended the monarchy, a young Soviet state was formed, which did not survive until the end of the century. The end of the century was the time of globalization and endemic computerization. Such a huge number of events of a very different nature added many new names to history.

Time Magazine's Man of the Century

The 20th century list was published by the American magazine Time in the December 1999 issue. Of the 100 chosen, Albert Einstein became the man of the century. This decision was justified by the fact that the twentieth century, according to the editors of the journal, will be remembered primarily for technology and science. Einstein, on the other hand, serves as an example for all the outstanding scientists whose work is based on his discoveries.

On the cover of the magazine was the famous photo of Albert Einstein, taken during a photo shoot, in which the scientist told the photographer about his despair that the theory of relativity became the guide for the US government in creating an atomic bomb.

Among the compilers of the list, there were discussions about Adolf Hitler, the Fuhrer responsible for World War II and the Nazi persecution of the Jews, declaring him Man of the Century for his influence on the twentieth century. The requirements of the magazine for candidates included the fact that the chosen person had to have a huge impact on the century, but it does not matter which one - good or bad.

As a result, the image of Hitler was decided not to be placed on the cover of the issue. But there was an article by the journalist G. Gibbs “Justified Evil?” In which she argued that the Fuhrer was simply the last in the chain of “bloodthirsty personalities” that originated from Genghis Khan.

Political leaders and revolutionaries

Famous people of the 20th century include Martin Luther King, Mahatma Gandhi, Theodore Roosevelt, Lech Walesa, Pope John Paul II, Winston Churchill, Mao Zedong, Franklin Roosevelt, Nelson Mandela, Ronald Reagan, David Ben-Gurion, Ho Chi Minh, Michael Sergeevich Gorbachev, Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, Adolf Hitler, Imam Khomeini. All these people were national, political or social leaders, leaders of revolutionary movements.

Time magazine singled out Vladimir Lenin and Mikhail Gorbachev in the list of famous people of the 20th century. From the point of view of his supporters, Vladimir Lenin devoted his life to the struggle for the liberation of workers and peasants from capitalist oppression. This is the most prominent political figure, the ideologist of communism and the founder of the Soviet state.

Mikhail Gorbachev became the first and last (that is, the only) president of the USSR, who started perestroika - the reform of the entire political system, the result of which was the collapse of the Soviet Union and the beginning of the history of modern Russia. Acceleration, glasnost, the end of the Cold War and the beginning of private enterprise - all this is connected with the reign of Mikhail Sergeyevich.

Outstanding scientists and thinkers

Among the famous people of the 20th century, it is impossible not to mention thinkers, philosophers and outstanding scientists. Among them are Sigmund Freud, Jean Piaget, Jonas Salk, William Bradford Shockley, the Wright brothers, Lius, Mary and Richard Leakey, Sir Alexander Fleming, Leo Hendrik Baekeland, Sir Tim Bernes-Lee.

In 1903, the first aircraft, created by the American inventors the Wright brothers, lasted 59 seconds in the air. This event is considered to be the moment of the birth of aviation. In 1941, Konrad Zuse created a mechanical computer, and in 1946, John Mauchly introduced the world to the first electronic computer. World Putin was invented by Sir Timothy John Berners-Lee.

In the forties, the technology for the production of penicillin was developed, which began to be produced on an industrial scale. Alexander Feming proved that this fungus causes the complete death of pathogenic bacteria. In 1953, Francis Crick and James Watts discovered the structure of a new DNA helix, and Rutherford hypothesized the structure of the smallest unit of matter and was the first to extract energy from the nuclei of atoms.

Celebrities in the art world

In the 20th century, famous people were engaged not only in scientific discoveries and inventions, but also in social and political activities. Many changes have taken place in the field of art. Celebrities include Bob Dylan, Louis Armstrong, Coco Chanel, Charlie Chaplin, Pablo Picasso, Frank Sinatra, Igor Stravinsky, Steven Spielberg, Oprah Winfrey.

Interestingly, in the list of famous people of the 20th century, Time magazine included the cartoon character Bart Simpson. The Simpsons combined social satire and animation in a way that had never been done before. And, for example, Oprah Winfrey, according to Time, participated in the formation of both the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, so she had the honor of being honored again in 2004.

Heroes and idols of millions

There are many really familiar names in the list of heroes and idols of the 20th century. These are Che Guevara, Mohammed Ali, Princess Diana, Mother Teresa, Anne Frank, Bruce Lee, Marilyn Monroe, Pele, William Wilson, John F. Kennedy and others. Famous people of the early 20th century have become for many people symbols of hope, real idols worshiped by millions. For Russians, the main idols of the past century were Yuri Gagarin, Vladimir Vysotsky, Georgy Zhukov, Joseph Stalin, Lev Andrey Sakharov.

Famous people of Russia of the 20th century

There were many famous personalities in Soviet Russia in the 20th century. What can we say about the first man who flew into space, Yuri Gagarin, the famous surgeon Nikolai Amosov, the poet and designer Mikhail Kalashnikov, the physicist Igor Kurchatov, the composer Dmitry Shostakovich and other outstanding figures of science and art. All these names were familiar to Soviet citizens from childhood.

There are countless heroes of a smaller scale, that is, regional ones, but their contribution to the common cause is no less important than the work of major political figures, talented talents or world-famous scientists. In the Amur Region alone, several well-known people of the early 20th century can be immediately listed: V. M. Popov, a natural scientist, A. Ya. Gurov, the first Amur archaeologist, K. N. edged weapons and others.

Adjubey Alexey Ivanovich

Alexey Ivanovich Adzhubey (1924-1993) - an outstanding journalist of the short period of the "Khrushchev thaw". This name arose in the firmament of domestic journalism half a century ago and soon became widely known in our country - the editor-in-chief of Komsomolskaya Pravda, and then Izvestia, which began to appear in millions of copies under him. Public interest in A. I. Adzhubey was fueled by this. that he was the son-in-law of N. S. Khrushchev. This fact of the biography, which contributed to the ascent of the young talented journalist to the newspaper Olympus, subsequently played a fatal role in his fate: in October 1964, the Plenum of the Central Committee of the CPSU removed Khrushchev from all posts and at the same time Adjubey was removed from the post of editor-in-chief of the Izvestia newspaper.

Chingiz Aitmatov was born on December 12, 1928 in the village of Sheker (Kyrgyzstan). Under the influence of the family, the future writer from childhood became familiar with Russian culture, the Russian language and literature. In 1937, his father, who held a leading position, was repressed, and Chingiz had to face the real life of the people: his work experience began at the age of ten, and from the age of fourteen he had to work as a secretary of the village council (this was the time of the Patriotic War, and adult men were on front), solving the most complex issues of life in a large village. After graduating from eight classes, he entered the Dzhambul Zootechnical School, from which he graduated with honors, and was admitted without exams to the Agricultural Institute. In his student years, he wrote small notes, articles, essays, publishing them in newspapers. After graduation, he worked as a livestock specialist, continuing to write.
In 1956 he came to study in Moscow at the Higher Literary Courses, which gave him a lot. Returning to Kyrgyzstan, he became the editor of the journal "Literary Kyrgyzstan", for five years he was his own correspondent for the newspaper "Pravda" in Kyrgyzstan. The novel "Jamilya" (1958), later included in the book "The Tale of the Mountains and Steppes" (Lenin Prize, 1963), brought wide fame to the young writer. In 1961, the story "My Poplar in a Red Scarf" was published. This was followed by the stories "The First Teacher" (1962), "Mother's Field" (1965), "Farewell, Gulsary!" (1966), "White steamboat" (1970) and others. The first novel written by Aitmatov is "And the day lasts longer than a century" ("Stormy Station", 1980). In 1988, the famous novel "The Scaffold" was published. Ch. Aitmatov was also able to make a diplomatic career: he was the USSR ambassador to Luxembourg. Currently, he is the Ambassador of Kyrgyzstan to Belgium, while not leaving literary activity (the novel "Cassandra's Brand", 1994).

Surgeon, writer, thinker-publicist. Amosov Nikolai Mikhailovich [b. 6 (19). 12.1913], Soviet surgeon, corresponding member of the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences (1961), Honored Scientist of the Ukrainian SSR. In 1939 he graduated from the Arkhangelsk Medical Institute. Since 1952, the head of the clinic of thoracic surgery of the Ukrainian Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Thoracic Surgery. F. G. Yanovsky. In 1954 he created and headed the Department of Thoracic Surgery at the Kyiv Institute for Postgraduate Medical Education. Works A. devoted to the surgical treatment of diseases of the lungs, heart, blood vessels, medical cybernetics. Deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of the 6th-7th convocations. Lenin Prize (1961). Awarded the Order of Lenin, 3 other orders and medals.
The author of several works of fiction (for example, the story "Thoughts and Heart", 1965: in 1969, the film "Degree of Risk" was released based on this story).

People's Artist of the USSR, Hero of Socialist Labor, laureate of the Lenin and State Prizes. Irina Konstantinovna Arkhipova is an outstanding Russian singer (mezzosoprano). "Queen of Russian Opera". One of the brightest Russian names on the world opera stage of the second half of the 20th century. Architect by education. In Moscow, there are buildings built according to her designs. She began to get involved in singing during her studies at the Architectural Institute. Already working as an architect, she graduated from the Moscow Conservatory. She performed the leading repertoire at the Opera and Ballet Theater in Sverdlovsk (Yekaterinburg). Two years after the Sverdlovsk debut, she was invited to the Bolshoi Theater and made her debut on its stage in the part of Carmen, which became a landmark for the singer. In 1959, Arkhipova performed the part of Carmen in a duet with the outstanding Italian tenor Mario del Monaco in a performance by the Bolshoi Theatre, after which she was invited by the Italian singer to stage the opera Carmen in Rome and Naples. The triumph of these performances marked the beginning of her brilliant international career. Irina Arkhipova is recognized as the best Carmen in the world. Four and a half decades of Irina Konstantinovna's creative performing career included performances in the entire leading mezzo-soprano repertoire at the Bolshoi Theater and other theaters in Russia, as well as on the world's leading stages - La Scala and Covent Garden, the Metropolitan Opera and Colon. She is an outstanding chamber singer with a huge repertoire of classical romances and song cycles. For more than three decades, Irina Konstantinovna Arkhipova has been engaged in the professional development of young Russian singers. He is the chairman of the jury of the All-Russian and International Vocal Competitions. Glinka. Thanks to a coherent system for identifying and educating vocal talents, the prestige of Russia as a vocal power has been increased. President of the International Union of Musical Figures. President of the Irina Arkhipova Foundation. The organizer of numerous festivals, including "Irina Arkhipova Presents", musical drawing rooms, etc. She received all the highest awards and titles of the USSR and Russia. Listed in the Russian book of records as the most titled Russian singer.

Title: Academician.
Elected: 09/27/1943.
Specialization: economics
Born on December 1, 1903, the village of Teploe Chernskogo Tula lips. Died September 30, 1950, Moscow. Economist, party and statesman. Academician in the Department of Economics and Law (Economics) since September 27, 1943.

Yuri Alekseevich Gagarin 1934-1968. Test pilot. The first in the world to circle the globe on the spacecraft "Vostok" 04/12/1961 Cosmonaut No. 1.

(b. 1923) Avar poet, People's Poet of Dagestan (1959), Hero of Socialist Labor (1974). Son of G. Tsadasa. Poetry collections "The Year of My Birth" (1950; State Prize of the USSR, 1952), "High Stars" (1962; Lenin Prize, 1963), "Letters" (1963), "Rosary of Years" (1968), "At the Hearth" ( 1978), "Island of Women" (1983), "Wheel of Life" (1987), lyrical story "My Dagestan" (books 1-2, 1967-71). Gamzatov's poetry is distinguished by civic consciousness, lyricism, a penchant for philosophy and aphorism, and national folklore flavor.

Gorkin Alexander Fedorovich (August 24, 1897, the village of Ramenki, Tver province - 1988), statesman, Hero of Socialist Labor (1967). The son of a peasant. In 1916 he joined the RSDLP, a Bolshevik. From Aug. 1917 to June 1919 Secretary of the Tver City Council, Chairman of the Provincial Executive Committee. In 1919-20 he served in the Red Army. Since 1921, an employee of the Tver Provincial Committee. Kirghiz regional committee, Central Volga regional committee of the party, apparatus of the Central Committee of the CPSU (b). In 1934-37 he was the 1st secretary of the Orenburg Regional Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks. From 1937 secretary of the Presidium of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR, from 1938 - the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. In 1937-74 he was a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. In 1939-52 he was a candidate member of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks. In 1952-76 he was a member of the Central Committee of the CPSU. After the death of I.V. Stalin in 1953 was removed from the post of secretary of the Presidium, but in 1956 he returned to his post again. In 1957-72 before. Supreme Court of the USSR, in 1959-61 at the same time before. CRC. Participated in the campaign for the rehabilitation of victims of the cult of personality, although the bulk of the cases took place in 1954-56, i.e. prior to his appointment. court. In 1972 he retired.

Russian designer, doctor of technical sciences (1971), colonel (1969), twice Hero of Socialist Labor (1958, 1976). Created AK and AKM assault rifles, RPK, PK, PKT machine guns, etc. Lenin Prize (1964), State Prize of the USSR (1949). Major General (1994).

Kalinin Mikhail Ivanovich, Soviet state. and part. activist, Hero Socialist. Labor (1944). Entered the nearest polit. entourage of I. V. Stalin; actually sanctioned the mass repressions of the 1930s and 40s. He graduated in 1889 villages. school. From 1896 he worked as a turner at the Putilov factory. Member communist. parties since 1898. He was a member of St. Petersburg. "Union of Struggle for the Emancipation of the Working Class", was an agent of Iskra. He was repeatedly arrested, imprisoned, exiled. Participant 3 grew up. roar-tion. During the years of the Civil During the war, he led the propaganda and instructor train “October Revolution”, which made 12 trips to the center. regions of Russia, Ukraine, Sev. Caucasus, Ural, Siberia and almost all fronts. Member since 1926 Party Politburo. From March 1919 pres. VTsIK. From 30 Dec. 1922 preds. Central Executive Committee of the USSR, from 1938 to March 1946 chairman. Presidium Top. Council of the USSR. First time visiting Chel. in Nov. 1920. On the morning of 18 Nov. train "October Revolution" arrived in Chel. After a short rally at the station, K. held a meeting in the provincial party committee dedicated to. fight against destruction. He delivered greetings. speech to conscripts and school graduates kr. military commanders. parade on the square Revolutions. In the evening, he took part in a rally on the railway. node, spoke at a meeting of the 2nd District Congress of Soviets in the People's House with a report on strengthening the Soviets. power in the country and its priorities. On the trail. day K. visited Chel. coal mines, spoke at a rally in the circus with a report on the international. position. In addition to speaking at rallies, K. considered complaints from citizens and took decisions on them. During the 2nd visit June 1, 1933 K. attended the celebrations. start-up ChTZ, got acquainted with the work of the main. workshops. In the afternoon he spoke at the celebrations. rally at the factory square. On the trail. day addressed with a speech to drummers and tech. plant personnel. On the same day, he visited the ferroalloy plant, ChGRES, the plant named after. Kolyushchenko.

(01/28/02/10/1911-1978), Russian mathematician and mechanic. He owns a large number of fundamental research in the field of mathematics, aerohydrodynamics, and the theory of vibrations. He made an outstanding contribution to the development of a number of important issues in aviation, atomic and space technology, which put him among the world's most prominent scientists.

(1902/03-1960), Russian physicist, organizer and leader of work on atomic science and technology in the USSR, Academician of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR (1943), three times Hero of Socialist Labor (1949, 1951, 1954). Researched ferroelectrics. Together with his collaborators, he discovered nuclear isomerism. Under the leadership of Kurchatov, the first domestic cyclotron was built (1939), spontaneous fission of uranium nuclei was discovered (1940), mine protection for ships was developed, the first nuclear reactor in Europe (1946), the first atomic bomb in the USSR (1949), the world's first thermonuclear bomb ( 1953) and NPP (1954). Founder and first director of the Institute of Atomic Energy (since 1943, since 1960 - named after Kurchatov). Lenin Prize (1957), State Prize of the USSR (1942, 1949, 1951, 1954).

Lysenko Trofim Denisovich (1898, village of Karlovka, Poltava province - 1976, Moscow) - agronomist. Genus. in a peasant family. After graduating from the school of horticulture and the Kyiv two-year courses on breeding, Lysenko worked at a breeding station and studied at the Kiev agricultural. institute, which he graduated in 1925. He worked as a breeder in Azerbaijan, then in Odessa. Having moved to Moscow, Lysenko put forward a doctrine, understandable to any ignoramus, about heredity, variability and speciation, which he called "Michurin's". He promised to create miracle varieties, to increase the yield of all crops in a short time by methods that practically did not require costs, which won him great popularity. Thus, in 1929, Lysenko reported that he knew how to increase grain production (vernalization) by means of the action of cold on germinating wheat grains. Lysenko is inexhaustible for such ideas. This "People's Academician" of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR (1934), VASKhNIL (1935), Academy of Sciences of the USSR (1939) was the first of his colleagues to declare that pests are operating in science, and he qualified scientific polemics as political sabotage. So opponents-genetics ended up in camps and prisons, expelled from science. In 1938, after N.I. Vavilov and repressed scientists A.I. Muralov and G.K. Meister Lysenko took over as president of VASKhNIL. Pleasant lies for the authorities took the form of figures, graphs and rigged experiments; hoaxes were declared real. Lysenko was awarded the Stalin Prize three times (1941, 1943, 1949), the title of Hero of the Socialist. Labor (1945), received 8 Orders of Lenin. The heroic attempts of genetic scientists to explain the desks conclusively. the leaders of the harm of Lysenkoism (A.A. Lyubishchev, V.P. Efroimson in 1947, etc.) ended in their arrest. Lysenko's activities brought enormous harm to biology and led to a total ban on genetics for a long time.

Rodion Yakovlevich Malinovsky Marshal of the Soviet Union, commander of the 2nd Ukrainian Front. Born November 23, 1898 in Odessa. Ukrainian. After graduating from the parochial school in 1911, Malinovsky left home. In 1911-1913. worked as a laborer. In 1913-1914. an apprentice clerk in an Odessa haberdashery store. In 1914, he begged the soldiers going to the front to take him to the military echelon, after which he was enlisted as a volunteer in the machine gun team of the 256th Elisavetgrad Infantry Regiment. In October 1914 he received his first combat award - the St. George Cross of the 4th degree and was evacuated to the rear due to his wound. In February 1916, he arrived in France as part of the Russian expeditionary force, where he was awarded for bravery. After the February Revolution in Russia, Malinovsky was elected chairman of the company committee. Malinovsky agreed to join the Foreign Legion of the French army, where he fought until the surrender of Germany. In 1919 he returned to Russia and began to serve in the Red Army, fought on the Eastern Front against A.V. Kolchak. In the 1920s he went from platoon commander to battalion commander. In 1930 he successfully graduated from the Military Academy named after M.V. Frunze. In 1937-1938. participated in the Spanish Civil War on the side of the Republican government. During the mass repressions in 1937-1938. among the command staff, materials were collected on Malinovsky as a participant in the military-fascist conspiracy, but the case was not given a move. Since 1939 he taught at the Military Academy. M.V. Frunze. Malinovsky met the Great Patriotic War as the commander of the 48th Rifle Corps on the border of the USSR. In August 1941 he was appointed commander of the 6th Army and fought heavy defensive battles. In 1941-1942. commanded the Southern and North Caucasian Fronts. In 1942, he distinguished himself by commanding the defeat of the fascist army group, marching to the aid of the encircled German troops near Stalingrad. Since 1943, he commanded the troops of the Southern, then the South-Western Front, liberated Nikolaev and Odessa. He played a big role in the liberation of Romania, Hungary, Austria, Czechoslovakia. In 1944, Malinovsky was awarded the title of Marshal of the Soviet Union. In August 1945, the troops of the Trans-Baikal Front under the command of R.Ya. Malinovsky dealt a crushing blow to the Kwantung Army of the Japanese and participated in the liberation of Northeast China and the Liaodong Peninsula. The title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the award of the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal was awarded to Rodion Yakovlevich Malinovsky on September 8, 1945. After the war, Rodion Yakovlevich commanded the troops of the district, was the commander-in-chief of the ground forces. Since 1957, Minister of Defense of the USSR. Cavalier of the Order of Victory, five Orders of Lenin, three Orders of the Red Banner, two Orders of Suvorov I degree, many medals and orders of foreign countries. R.Ya. Malinovsky is a national hero of Yugoslavia. Died March 31, 1967. The ashes were buried in the Kremlin wall.

Poskrebyshev Alexander Nikolaevich (1891, Vyatka - 3.1.1965, Moscow), party leader, lieutenant general. Shoemaker's son. By profession a paramedic. In March 1917 he joined the RSDLP (b). Since 1922, he worked in the apparatus of the Central Committee, in 1923-1924 he was the head of the Administration of the Central Committee of the RCP (b), in 1924-1929, assistant I.V. Stalin. In 1929-1934, deputy head, head of the secret department, in 1934-1952 - a special sector of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks. Since August 1935, head of the office of the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks. Since 1931, Stalin's personal secretary and his most trusted person. He carried out Stalin's personal tasks, prepared documents for him, etc. Through him, Stalin received all the information of any nature. For each document, Poskrebyshev attached a leaflet with a proposal for a specific solution, in most cases Stalin agreed with his recommendations. Since 1934 he was a candidate member, in 1939-1956 he was a member of the Central Committee of the party. Since 1946, a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. He was distinguished by his amazing capacity for work (his working day was at least 16 hours) and diligence. According to a number of memoirs and studies (though not confirmed by sources), Poskrebyshev was involved in most of the crimes of the regime, incl. the murder of G.K. Ordzhonikidze, the organization of political processes in 1936-1938, the "cause of doctors", etc. After the war, his wife - Bronislava Solomonovna, a distant relative of L.D. Trotsky, - was arrested, Poskrebyshev begged Stalin to save her, but he refused him; she spent 3 years in prison, and then was shot on charges of espionage. From 1952 Secretary of the Presidium and Bureau of the Presidium of the Central Committee of the CPSU. In November 1952, L.P. Beria managed to convince Stalin to remove Poskrebyshev from the Kremlin. "Perhaps Poskrebyshev is connected with the doctors' case," was one of Beria's arguments. In 1953 he was removed from active political life and retired. In his speech at the XX Congress of the CPSU, N.S. Khrushchev called him "Stalin's faithful squire." Buried at the Novodevichy Cemetery.

Russian architect, People's Architect of the USSR (1970), full member of the Academy of Arts of the USSR (1979). Chief Architect of Moscow (1960-82). High-rise residential building on the square. Uprisings (1954), the Palace of Congresses in the Kremlin (1961), the construction of Novy Arbat (1964-69), the USSR pavilions at the World Exhibitions in Montreal (1967) and Osaka (1970) - with co-authors. Project Manager of the Master Plan for the Development of Moscow (approved in 1971). Lenin Prize (1962), State Prize of the USSR (1949, 1980).

Rokossovsky Konstantin Konstantinovich (9/21.12.1896-3.08.1968), Marshal of the Soviet Union (1944), Marshal of Poland (1949), twice Hero of the Soviet Union (1944, 1945). Born in the city of Velikiye Luki in the family of a railway worker. In the First World War - junior non-commissioned officer. Since October 1917 in the Red Guard, then in the Red Army. Member of the fighting on the CER. During the Great Patriotic War, he commanded the army in the Battle of Moscow, the Bryansk, Don fronts (in the Battle of Stalingrad), the Central, Belorussian, 1st 2nd Belorussian (in the Vistula-Oder and Berlin operations) fronts. In 1945-49 he was Commander-in-Chief of the Northern Group of Forces. In 1949 - 56 Minister of National Defense and Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Poland. In 1956-57 and 1958-62 Deputy Minister of Defense of the USSR.

(1896-1986) physicist, one of the founders of chem. physicist, founder of scientific schools, acad. Academy of Sciences of the USSR (1932), Hero of the Socialist. Labor (1966, 1976). Graduated from Phys.-Math. f-t Petrogr. un-ta (1917). In 1920-31 he worked at the Phys.-Techn. in-those, at the same time. (since 1921) taught in Leningrad. polytechnic Institute (professor since 1928; Politekhnicheskaya st., 29; memorial plaque). Since 1931 dir. created by him Ying-ta chem. physicists of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, which in 1941 was evacuated to Kazan, in 1943 he was transferred to Moscow, where S. lived from that year; prof. Moscow State University. In 1957-63 Academician-secret. Department of Chemical Sciences, in 1963-71 Vice President. Academy of Sciences of the USSR. Proceedings in the field of chemistry. kinetics, combustion theory. Author of the theory of chain reactions (1943). Nobel Ave. (1956, jointly with S. Hinshelwood), Stalinskaya Ave. (1941, 1949), Leninskaya Ave. (1976).

(real name Solovyov) Vasily Pavlovich (1907, St. Petersburg - 1979, Leningrad), composer, people. art. USSR (1967), Hero of the Socialist. Labor (1975). Graduated from Leningrad. the conservatory in the class of composition from P. B. Ryazanov (1936). From 1925 he worked as a pianist-improviser for Leningrad. radio, sports. and do-it-yourselfers. collectives. During Vel. Fatherland war organizer and hands. front-line variety theater "Yastrebok". In 1948-64 before. LO Union of Composers, in 1957-74 sec. Union comp. THE USSR. Master of mass song (St. 400). Melodich. the gift, spontaneity, penetratingness of his song lyrics won her immense popularity. Songs of S.-S. entered the life of millions, and "Moscow Evenings" (words by M. L. Matusovsky, 1956) became international. music emblem of Russia. Ch. theme of creativity S.-S. - military, soldier. In collaboration with A. I. Fatyanov created "On a sunny meadow" (1943), "Nightingales" (1944), "We have not been at home for a long time" (1945), "Where are you now, fellow soldiers" (1947) "Where Well you are my garden "(1948); with S. B. Fogelson - "Sailor Nights" (1945), with A. D. Churkin - "Evening on the raids" (1941), with M. V. Isakovsky - "Hear me, good" (1945). Author of the ballet "Taras Bulba" (Theater of Opera and Ballet named after S. M. Kirov. 1940, 1955), operettas and music. comedies, including "The most cherished" (1951), "Eighteen years" (1967), "At the native pier" (1970); music for 36 art. film, including "Heavenly slug" (1945), "First glove" (1946), "Maxim Perepelitsa" (1955), "She loves you" (1956), "Don story" (1964), to scientific-popular and dokum. k / f., to drama. performances and radio shows (c. 40). Stalinskie pr. (1943, 1947), Leninskaya pr. (1959). Genus. and lived until 1929 on Nevsky Prospekt, 139, then changed several. addresses. In 1950-79 he lived on the embankment. R. Fontanka, 131 (memorial plaque) and in the village. Komarovo (Bolshoi Ave., 17). He was buried at Literary bridges. In the name of S.-S. named variety-symphony. Orchestra of the television and radio company "Petersburg".

Titov German Stepanovich (born September 11, 1935, died September 20, 2000) (September 11, 1935, the village of Upper Zhilino, Kosikhinsky District, Altai Territory - September 20, 2000, Moscow), Russian cosmonaut. Pilot-Cosmonaut of the USSR (1961), Colonel-General of Aviation (1988), Hero of the Soviet Union (1961). In the first detachment of cosmonauts of the USSR, German Titov was one of the best and was appointed understudy of Yu. A. Gagarin, while preparing for the first ever space flight on April 12, 1961. In August 1961, German Titov made a space flight on Vostok-2, which lasted 25 hours. Later he left the cosmonaut corps and worked as a test pilot. In 1968 he graduated from the Air Force Academy, worked in its experimental design department. Then he graduated from the Academy of the General Staff. He completed his military service as First Deputy Commander of the Military Space Forces and the rank of Colonel General, the highest among Russian cosmonauts. In the last years of his life, he was a deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation from the Communist Party. Died in an accident. He was buried at the Novodevichy cemetery.

[R. 15 (28) 9.1915, Tbilisi], Soviet director, People's Artist of the USSR (1957), Doctor of Arts (1968). In 1938 he graduated from the directing department of GITIS. In 1938-46 director of the Tbilisi Russian Theater named after. Griboyedov, in 1946-49 he worked in the Moscow Central Children's Theater, in 1950-56 he was the chief director of the Leningrad Theater. Lenin Komsomol, since 1956 - the Bolshoi Drama Theater. Gorky. One of the sides of the director's talent T. - the desire for monumental, generalized forms. This was manifested in the performances "The Road of Immortality" (1951, based on the book by Y. Fuchik "The Word Before the Execution"), "The Death of the Squadron" by Korneichuk (1952) and in the most significant work - "Optimistic Tragedy" by Vishnevsky (1955), awarded the Lenin Prize ( 1958). Among the best performances of T. at the Bolshoi Drama Theater: "The Idiot" by Dostoevsky (1957, 1966), "Barbarians" (1959) and "Barbarians" (1966) by Gorky, "Virgin Soil Upturned" by Sholokhov (1964), "Three Sisters" by Chekhov (1965), "Restless old age" Rakhmanov (1970), "Khanuma" Tsagareli (1973). T. brought up a team of like-minded actors and contributed to the successful debuts of a number of playwrights (A. M. Volodina, V. S. Rozov, and others). Author of books on the theory and practice of directing creativity - "On the Profession of a Director" (1965) and "Circle of Thoughts" (1972). In 1939-46 he taught at the Georgian Theater Institute. Sh. Rustaveli, from 1962 he headed the department of directing at the Leningrad Institute of Theatre, Music and Cinematography (professor since 1960). Deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of the 7th and 8th convocations. USSR State Prize (1950, 1952, 1968). He was awarded two orders of Lenin, the Order of the Red Banner of Labor, as well as medals.

(1883-1945) Born December 29 (January 11), 1883 in the village of Sosnovka, Samara province. His writing career began in 1907 with the publication of a collection of poems. The most significant works of Tolstoy belong to the Soviet period of creativity, although he spent the first years after the revolution in exile in Paris (1918-1921). He returned to the USSR and was subsequently awarded the Stalin Prize twice for his outstanding contribution to literature. During the Second World War, Tolstoy devoted a lot of energy to journalism and wrote numerous front-line essays. In the 1920s, Tolstoy published a number of fantastic works: the story Aelita (1922-1923), a depiction of a social upheaval on Mars; the play Revolt of the Machines (1925) and the novel Hyperboloid by engineer Garin (1925-1927), about a megalomaniac scientist who tries to enslave the world. The short story Blue Cities (1925) describes the confrontation between modern science and the patriarchal Russian village. The trilogy of the Pain, begun in Paris in 1921 and completed in 1941, is his most important work, a realistic picture of the life of Russian society, especially the intelligentsia, during the war and revolution. His Peter I (books 1-3, 1929-1945, unfinished) is considered the best historical novel of the Soviet period in the history of Russian literature. Tolstoy died in Moscow on February 23, 1945.

Andrei Nikolaevich Tupolev - Soviet aircraft designer and scientist, one of the founders of the domestic aircraft industry. Tupolev, together with Zhukovsky, founded TsAGI (Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute). There, Tupolev created and headed the design bureau, which later developed all of his aircraft. Experiments showed that for the construction of heavy aircraft it is necessary to use light metals in aircraft construction, and under the leadership of Tupolev, the first Soviet all-metal aircraft, the ANT-2 and ANT-3, were built. Tupolev managed to put forward and implement ideas that determined the development of multi-engine bombers for decades to come. The monoplane scheme, the installation of engines on the wing, the placement of fuel tanks inside the wing have become integral features of aircraft of this class. Bombers, torpedo bombers, reconnaissance aircraft designed by Tupolev successfully fought on the fronts of World War II. In the post-war years, under the leadership of Tupolev, a number of military and civil aircraft were created: the Tu-12 jet bomber in 1947, the first Tu-104 jet passenger aircraft in 1954, the first Tu-114 turboprop intercontinental passenger airliner in 1957. Later, Tu-12 were made. 124, Tu-134, Tu-154. Tupolev also created supersonic aircraft, including the Tu-144 passenger aircraft. In total, more than 100 types of aircraft were created under the leadership of Tupolev.

(11/24(12/07/1910-10/24/1974), party member since 1930, member of the Central Committee since 1956 (candidate 1952), member of the Presidium of the Central Committee 06/29/57-10/17/61. (candidate from 02/27/56), Secretary of the Central Committee 02/27/56-05/04/60 Born in Vyshny Volochek, Tver province (Kalinin region). Russian. In 1941 she graduated from the Moscow Institute of Fine Chemical Technology. M. V. Lomonosov, in 1948 - VPSh under the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks. She began her career in 1928 as a weaver. In 1930-1933 and 1935-1937. at Komsomol work, in 1933-1935. studied. From 1942 secretary, second secretary, first secretary of the district party committee in Moscow. In 1950-1954. second secretary, in 1954-1957 First Secretary of the MGK CPSU. In 1956-1960. Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU. Since 1960 Minister of Culture of the USSR. Deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR 3-5 and 7-8 convocations. She was buried at the Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow.

(1904, St. Petersburg - 1994), physicist and physical chemist, acad. Academy of Sciences of the USSR (1953), Hero of the Socialist. Labor (1949, 1951, 1954). Graduated from Leningrad. polytechnic in-t (1925; memorial plaque). From 1921 he worked at the Phys.-Techn. in-those, since 1931 - in the institute of chem. physics of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR and other research institutes, prof. Leningrad. industrial institute (since 1934). In 1938 he left Leningrad. Works on nuclear physics, chem. kinetics, physics of combustion and explosion. One of the hands. nuclear project of the USSR. Gene. dir. and lifelong scholar. hands State. scientific center of the Russian Federation "Arzamas-16". Stalinskie pr. (1949, 1951, 1954), Leninskaya pr. (1956). Lived at 61 Lesnoy Avenue. Bust in the Alley of Heroes Moscow. Victory Park (1985, sculptor V. Kh. Dumanyan). Lit .: Man of the century Julius Borisovich Khariton. M., 1999; Cheparukhin V. V. Julius Borisovich Khariton and the Polytechnic Institute // Generals of the Spirit. SPb., 2000. Book. 1. S. 547-556. V. V. Cheparukhin.

(1903-78) Russian composer, People's Artist of the USSR (1954), Academician of the Academy of Sciences of Armenia (1963), Hero of Socialist Labor (1973), Doctor of Arts. In the melodically generous, rhythmically impulsive works of Khachaturian, the tonal system of European music organically merged with oriental harmony. The ballets "Gayane" (1942) and "Spartacus" (1954), 3 symphonies (1934-47), concertos for piano (1936), violin (1940) and cello (1946) with orchestra, music for the drama "Masquerade" by M. Y. Lermontov (1941). Professor of the Moscow Conservatory, Musical and Pedagogical Institute. Gnesins (since 1951). Acted as a conductor. Lenin Prize (1959), State Prize of the USSR (1941, 1943, 1946, 1950, 1971).

Khrennikov Tikhon Nikolaevich (born May 28, 1913, Yelets), composer, administrator, People's Artist of the USSR (1963). Hero of Socialist Labor (1973), three times winner of the Stalin Prize (1942, 1946, 1952). Educated at the Gnessin Musical College (1932) and the Moscow Conservatory (1936), a student of V.Ya. Shebalin and G.G. Neuhaus. In 1939 he wrote the opera Into the Storm (1939), which became "the first successful experience of translating a revolutionary theme into music", in which Khrennikov first brought V.I. Lenin. In 1950 he wrote the opera "Frol Skobeev" (1950). He wrote music for performances and films, incl. "The Pig and the Shepherd" (1941), "At six o'clock in the evening after the war" (1944), etc. In 1947 he joined the CPSU(b). Since 1948 General (since 1957 - 1st) Secretary of the Union of Composers of the USSR. In 1941-56 he was responsible for the musical part at the Theater of the Soviet Army. After the Great Patriotic War, he took part in the persecution of D. Shostakovich and the establishment of the "party line" in music, however, unlike the leadership of the Writers' Union, he was not involved in denunciations. After the death of I.V. Stalin retained his positions and remained for almost 40 years the only leader of Soviet music under N.S. Khrushchev, L.I. Brezhnev, Yu.V. Andropov, M.S. Gorbachev. During this time he wrote the operas "Mother" (1957), "The Golden Calf" (1985), the ballet "Love for Love" (1976), "Hussar Ballad" (1979), the operetta "One Hundred Devils and One Girl" (1963) and etc. Since 1961 a member of the Central Audit Commission of the CPSU, since 1976 a candidate member of the Central Committee. Since 1962 he has been a member of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. In 1967 he received the State, in 1974 - the Lenin Prize. In 1990 he became a prev. Union of Composers of the USSR.

Soviet pilot, Hero of the Soviet Union (July 24, 1936), brigade commander. Member of the CPSU since 1936. Born into a working class family. In 1919, he voluntarily joined the Red Army, worked as an aircraft assembler in an aviation park in Nizhny Novgorod. In 1921-1924 he studied at the Yegoryevsk and Borisoglebsk aviation schools, at the Moscow aerobatics school and the Serpukhov Higher School of Air Shooting and Bombing. Since 1924 he served in the Red Banner Fighter Squadron, became famous as a skilled pilot. Since 1930, he was a test pilot at the Air Force Research Institute, tested over 70 types of aircraft, developed and introduced new aerobatics: an upward spin and a slow roll. He possessed exceptional courage, perseverance and endurance. July 20-22, 1936 with G. F. Baidukov and A. V. Belyakov made a non-stop flight from Moscow to Petropavlovsk-on-Kamchatka and further to about. Udd (9374 km in 56 hours 20 minutes). On June 18-20, 1937, with the same crew, he flew from Moscow to Vancouver (USA) via the North Pole (8504 km in 63 hours and 16 minutes). Deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of the 1st convocation. Awarded 2 Orders of Lenin and the Order of the Red Banner. Killed while testing a new fighter. He was buried in Red Square near the Kremlin wall.

Shostakovich Dmitry Dmitrievich, Soviet composer, People's Artist of the USSR (1954), Hero of Socialist Labor (1966), Doctor of Arts (1965). Born in the family of an engineer. He graduated from the Leningrad Conservatory in piano with L. V. Nikolaev (1923) and composition with M. O. Steinberg (1925). In 1927 at the 1st International Piano Competition. F. Chopin (Warsaw) received an honorary diploma. He performed his own work. From 1937 he taught a composition class at the Leningrad Conservatory, and from 1943-48 at the Moscow Conservatory (professor since 1939). Among the students: R. S. Bunin, A. D. Gadzhiev, G. G. Galynin, O. A. Evlakhov, K. A. Karaev, G. V. Sviridov, B. I. Tishchenko, K. S. Khachaturian , B. A. Tchaikovsky.

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