People
Historical Figures and Influential People in History
Explore rulers, generals, thinkers, scientists and reformers who shaped world history. Search for a specific person, or browse by era, region, country and A–Z.
Modern History Figures from Russia in Europe
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3 results
Boris Yeltsin
1931–2007
He stood on a tank to face down a coup — then spent the next decade watching the country he'd saved slowly come apart.
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Mikhail Gorbachev
1931–2022
He set out to save the Soviet Union through reform, and instead presided over its peaceful dissolution — an outcome he didn't intend and never entirely accepted.
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Vladimir Putin
1952–?
He came to power promising stability and order, and has remained in power long enough that the question of what Russia looks like without him has become genuinely difficult to answer.
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