The most famous women of Russia
Our native country is wide, its open spaces are great... How many brilliant poets, writers, warriors and female athletes history has given us!
Let's try to make a rating of famous and famous women in Russia, who through their activities changed the world for the better and influenced the course of history.
- Princess Olga became famous thanks to her reforms, which became a turning point in the history of Rus'. To this day, our contemporaries admire her decisive actions, and even in history textbooks a separate chapter is dedicated to the consideration of her life. After visiting Constantinople, the princess was the first in Rus' to convert to Christianity. It was she who contributed to the spread of Christian commandments among the common people. The princess has been canonized by the Orthodox Church, and the Order of the Holy Princess Olga has even been established in Ukraine.
- Ekaterina Vorontsova-Dashkova. Maid of honor and confidante of Empress Catherine II. She took an active part in the coup d'etat of 1762, actually changing the course of the history of the Russian state. She also made a significant contribution to the spread of literacy among the peasant people. It is to Vorontsova that we owe the appearance of the letter “e” in the alphabet.
- Under Catherine the Great, the state's borders were significantly expanded in several directions at once. The Empress skillfully controlled the guards thanks to her rare charm. She was smart and educated, well versed in politics and science. She actively promoted the spread of literacy, encouraged the nobility, and was generous to her favorites. During her reign, the state rose from its knees after a period of long palace coups.
Prominent relatives of Ivan the Terrible
There are many famous women in the history of the Middle Ages. For example, Elena Glinskaya, mother of the infamous Russian Tsar Ivan the Terrible. It is also considered the mother of Russian artillery. She encouraged the development of science and writing in every possible way. But her main act was the creation of the Streletsky and Pushkarsky orders in Russia, which laid the foundation for the formation of artillery regiments.
Sofia Paleolog is a famous Russian woman, Grand Duchess of Moscow, mother of Vasily the Third and grandmother of Ivan the Terrible. Thanks to her, Russia has a double-headed eagle on its coat of arms, Moscow acquired the Kremlin, and the people acquired the infamous library of Ivan the Fourth.
Joan of Arc
The life of this famous bright personality was very eventful. Already at the age of 17, she began to command the French army. And at the age of 18, Jeanne proved herself to be a great strategist and fearless warrior, winning many battles against the English army. As a simple Christian from Orleans, Jeanne claimed that she was God's messenger and all her achievements were made possible only thanks to the intervention of God. At the age of 19, Joan of Arc was burned alive at the stake, accused of heresy, and 25 years later she was declared a righteous woman and a great martyr.
Women Nobel laureates
The Nobel Prize is the world's most prestigious award for scientists and artists. Awarded for truly outstanding discoveries that can once and for all change the course of history and put the entire planet on edge. Famous women of the world have repeatedly become laureates and winners of the award.
- Marie Skłodowska-Curie is a famous female chemist and physicist. Twice Nobel Prize winner in physics and chemistry. Her research shed light on the nature of radiation. She discovered and studied the properties of the elements radium and polonium. The death of this woman was a tragic consequence of her work: Maria never wore protection when working with radioactive elements and died at a relatively young age from leukemia.
- Selma Ottilie Lovisa Lagerlöf is a Swedish writer, organizer of the pacifist movement and author of science and educational books for children. She became the first woman to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature. Selma’s main and most popular work is “The Amazing Journey of Nils Holgersson through Sweden.”
- Irène Joliot-Curie is a French woman who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry together with F. Joliot “For the synthesis of new radioactive elements.” Eldest daughter of Marie Skłodowska-Curie. Irene, alas, like her mother, died of leukemia due to constant prolonged contact with radioactive elements, the influence of which provokes oncology.
- Grazia Delleda is a writer, author of the novel “Honest Souls” and a number of other world-famous literary works, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Mary Anning (1799-1847)
Treasure hunting was a common pastime for many girls and boys from ordinary English families, because in the children's imagination even a fragment of a broken bottle seemed not like garbage, but a valuable relic. But for one Englishwoman named Mary Anning, “picking the ground” became her life’s work and made her famous as the first female paleontologist.
The girl was born in the south of England in the small port town of Lyme Regis, which was surrounded by picturesque bays, cliffs and chalk cliffs. In addition to the fresh sea air and blessed silence, this area was also famous for its abundance of fossils from the Jurassic period - “antiques”. Poor townspeople spent hours on the coast in search of stones and snake vertebrae, so that they could then safely sell them to tourists. The Anning family was no exception. His father worked as a carpenter, his mother did housework, and Mary, after Sunday school lessons, literally fell ill with geology and always helped her parents.
The best time for fishing was considered to be the winter months, when storm waves eroded the shores and brought the “antiques” to land. The main thing is to have time to collect them before low tide. The Anning clan succeeded in this dangerous business and successfully traded in curiosities until the father of the family died of tuberculosis in 1810. Mary took over his duties.
One day, a 12-year-old girl discovered part of the skeleton of an ichthyosaur, then two skeletons of a plesiosaur and many fossil fish that the scientific community in London could not even classify according to the semantics of the animal kingdom. Word of the young naturalist spread throughout England, and meanwhile she improved her knowledge with her newfound friend Miss Philpot. The girl supplied her friend with literature on geology, taught her to make sketches and write anthologies. At the age of 18, Mary became famous among collectors and professional archaeologists, and her name was constantly appearing in newspapers. Unfortunately, Anning's achievements were attributed to other big names. While the British Museum was eagerly buying dinosaur remains found by a carpenter's daughter, Mary opened the Anning Fossil Shop, which was frequented by geological luminaries and even the Saxon king Frederick Augustus II.
The first female paleontologist had to contend with poverty and snobbery in the scientific community. It was only after Mary Anning's death that people recognized her contribution to the development of science. Charles Dickens himself more than once admired the woman who earned immortality by searching for dinosaurs, although she began her journey by picking in the sand and studying the rocks of Dorset in the company of her beloved dog.
Female gender and science
In addition to the well-known Marie Curie, there are less famous women in the world of science. However, this does not detract from the importance of their discoveries and research. The merits of many of them have never received due recognition and appreciation.
An ordinary Englishwoman, Rosalind Franklin, worked for many years in a biophysics laboratory. It is to her that the world owes the discovery of the structure of DNA. Rosalind's precise laboratory experiments and her x-ray imaging of DNA, which demonstrated the convoluted structure, made the work so significant. In 1962, he received the Nobel Prize for the discovery of DNA. Alas, Rosalind died three years earlier from cancer, and the prize is not awarded posthumously.
The first German woman professor, Lise Meitner, studied physics along with the largest scientific luminaries in Europe. She made a huge contribution to the study of the atomic nucleus, but was not even nominated for a Nobel Prize for her services. Element 109 of the periodic table, meitnerium, was named in honor of Liz.
Aphra Behn (1640-1689)
Attitudes towards writers and poets have always been ambiguous. Poems, sonnets and novels were read everywhere, but behind the authors’ backs their masterpieces were called “paper scribbling.” Society told men: “Write if you wish, I don’t care.” It showered the women with ridicule: “Do you want to write? Who are you?!” The answer to this question was given by a woman named Aphra Behn, a former pupil of a Catholic monastery. Having escaped from her tonsure to one of the British colonies, she met an African-American slave there, took pen and paper and wrote the first anti-imperialist novel. Where such audacity came from in a fragile girl is unclear.
Aphra was born in the Canterbury area to barber Bartholomew Johnson and his wife Elizabeth Denham, who worked as a wet nurse for a wealthy family. When Miss Ben turned 23, her parents sent her on a trip to the Suriname River. The curious girl examined the beauty there and eagerly communicated with the local population. Upon returning to England, in addition to vivid impressions, she brought with her the completed novel “Orunoko, or the Royal Slave.” Of course, Aphra did not tell anyone about the manuscript and did what most English women her age did - she got married. Her chosen one was the German-Dutch merchant Jochen Behn, who after two years of marriage with the wayward Aphra played into the grave. The widow's status did not affect the coquette's love of life. She set out to strengthen her position in high society and along the way learned all the facets of bisexual love.
The moralists were shocked, but they could not suppress the writer’s enthusiasm. A staunch monarchist, Aphra supported the Stuart family, especially the Duke of York. When the monarch went into exile, Mrs. Behn dedicated the play “The Wanderer” to him, where she many times called the patron “God’s chosen one.”
Odes of praise allowed Aphra Behn to win the trust of King Charles II, as well as to break into the society of writers, scientists and thinkers at court. By this time, the rising star of English literature spoke out smartly about politics. She fiercely defended the Tory party, aristocrats and clergy, and ridiculed the Whig party in unflattering epigrams. During the Anglo-Dutch War, Aphra carried out secret assignments for Charles II in Antwerp and informed the king about enemy plans in secret correspondence, using the pseudonym Astraea.
Alas, the monarch was in no hurry to reward her, so the brave-hearted Aphra Behn had to spend time in prison. Fortunately, a certain anonymous person paid off all her debts, which allowed the prisoner to begin professional writing. Connections with the London elite helped achieve success. From Afra's pen flowed novels, love stories, theatrical plays, poems and short stories. Moreover, they were all imbued with outright eroticism. Aphra lived a long life and proved that a woman can make a living through creativity. After her death, many girls threatened their parents that they would run away from home and start writing poetry.
The most famous Olympic champions
Larisa Latynina: 9 gold medals, 5 silver, 4 bronze. Soviet gymnast, Honored Master of Sports. Has the absolute majority of Olympic medals.
Bridget Schmidt-Fischer has 8 gold and 4 silver medals. Considered the best canoeist of all time. In terms of the number of Olympic medals won by a woman, she is second only to Larisa Latynina.
Jenny Thompson is a ten-time Olympic champion. Has 8 gold, 3 silver and 1 bronze medals. US-born Thomson is the world's most famous female swimmer.
Vera Caslavska is a gymnast originally from Czechoslovakia. She won 7 gold and 4 silver medals during her sports career.
Lyubov Egorova is a world famous skier. During her sports career she won six Olympic gold medals. Honored Master of Sports of Russia, multiple world champion. Hero of the Russian Federation “For outstanding achievements in sports, courage and heroism shown at the XVII Winter Olympic Games in 1994.” Egorova is one of the most famous women in Russia. Married, has two adult sons.
The Magical Worlds of JK Rowling
This modest Englishwoman never thought of connecting her life with a writing career. As a child, she had a hard time with her mother’s illness. Her studies at school were not going well, and her first husband and father of her daughter kicked them out onto the street after a quarrel. Lonely and unemployed, Joan gained popularity overnight when the publisher released her first novel about the adventures of the boy wizard Harry Potter.
Today, Rowling is the owner of a multimillion-dollar fortune and is included in the list of the most famous and famous women in Great Britain.
Cleopatra
Cleopatra VII, the last queen of Hellenistic Egypt.
The legendary last empress of Egypt is known for her power, attractiveness and cruelty. Cleopatra knew how to achieve what she wanted through intimate relationships. To become Caesar's mistress, she was brought to his chambers, wrapped in a Persian carpet, like an expensive gift. Later she became the mistress of Mark Antony, since only he had the money to support the army. As his money dwindled and the wars continued, Cleopatra tried her best to save herself and her children. Preparing for the inevitable meeting with the enemy, she tried to find out which poison brought the fastest death so that she could use it against her enemies. She used prisoners for her experiments. The enemy was advancing, and Cleopatra's fear increased. When one of the commandants surrendered the fortress, Cleopatra mercilessly executed his wife and children.
The Hard Way of Margaret Mitchell
The author of the cult novel Gone with the Wind has come a long way before becoming a world-famous writer. She worked as a journalist, then as a leading reporter. The first marriage failed; while in her second marriage, Margaret suffered an ankle injury that was incompatible with her work as a journalist. She had to settle at home. Occupy yourself with previously despised household chores.
Sitting at home, she wrote one novel for ten years. This is how the now iconic book “Gone with the Wind” was released. In 1937, the novel received the Pulitzer Prize. Despite tearful requests from fans to write another novel or a sequel about the life of Scarlett's children, Margaret never began working on new works.
Pasha Angelina
If the labor exploits of men in the USSR were associated with the name of Alexei Stakhanov , then women’s feats were associated with the name of Pasha Angelina.
Pasha, aka Praskovya Nikitichna Angelina, graduated from tractor driving courses at the age of 16, becoming one of the first female tractor drivers in the country. In 1933, Pasha Angelina organized the first women's tractor brigade in the USSR, becoming its foreman. Pashin Angelina’s team regularly exceeded the plan and set labor records. Her name did not leave the front pages of central newspapers. In 1938, she came out with the slogan “One hundred thousand girlfriends - on a tractor!”
For her success in work, Pasha Angelina was twice awarded the title of Hero of Socialist Labor and three Orders of Lenin. Her name remained popular until the collapse of the USSR, despite the fact that the heroine lived a short life, dying in 1959 at the age of 46.
Praskovya Angelina, 1935. Photo: RIA Novosti
Astrid Lindgren: fairy tales for children and more
Lindgren Astrid Anna Emilia is a Swedish writer, author of more than 10 story books for children. Her works are imbued with fantasy, warmth and kindness. Pippi Longstocking, Carlson - these characters were born on the pages of her works. Her stories have been translated into 70 languages and published in more than 100 countries. In the Soviet Union, many children grew up reading fairy tales about Carlson and Pippi; these books were filmed more than once, and popular cartoons were produced based on them.
In her home country (Sweden), Astrid is a living legend. She inspired with her example and consoled more than one generation of readers, and took part in the political life of the country. On the day of her death, national mourning was declared.
The most famous actresses in the world
Speaking about famous women of the world, it would be strange not to touch upon cinema. Beautiful actresses have captured their film images for centuries. Fans will be looking at their photographs for decades to come and discussing their star roles and the names of famous female actresses.
Vivien Leigh, Grace Kelly, Sophia Loren, Marilyn Monroe, Marlene Dietrich, Audrey Hepburn, Ava Gardner... Films with the participation of all these actresses will be watched for decades to come. Meanwhile, many of them had a sad fate and a thorny path to glory.
Doris Payne: without noise and scandals
Hollywood shot the film “Who Is Doris Payne?”, in which the most famous diamond thief is played by Halle Berry. By the way, Doris Payne herself (born 1930) is alive to this day.
To better get used to the role, the Hollywood actress even attended the trial of the most extravagant criminal in America. 20 pseudonyms, 5 fake passports, 10 volumes of a criminal case. France, Italy and Switzerland demanded her extradition.
Doris Payne Source: Pinterest
When asked by the court clerk about her occupation, Doris Payne said with dignity: “I steal jewelry, I steal professionally.” An old woman was convicted of stealing a diamond ring worth $22.5 thousand from one of the most expensive jewelry stores in Southern California. At the same time, the accused did not lay a finger on anyone, did not threaten anyone, did not use weapons, she simply took the jewelry and left, and the store staff kindly shuffled in front of her right up to the door, persuading her to come in again.
Over the course of six decades, this incredible woman stole countless pieces of jewelry. Doris studied human psychology and won the trust of salespeople who could not imagine that a polite, decent black lady could turn out to be a repeat offender. Payne involved store staff in her game, who laid out more and more jewelry in front of her. As a result, she left the jewelry store without buying anything, “forgetting” to remove one of the rings from her finger.
The old lady is proud to have “cleaned” jewelry stores all over the world - from California to Monte Carlo. Over the course of her long life, she spent time in prisons in six states. Some joke that she will steal as long as she is able to move independently.
Marilyn Monroe and Mr President
Norma Jeane (real name Marilyn) had a successful career before meeting future US President John F. Kennedy. Their romance was long and stormy, but politics demanded complete dedication from John. The image of Marilyn - a frivolous, stupid and sexy blonde - was inappropriate and harmed Kennedy’s reputation. Evil tongues claim that he never loved Marilyn, an affair with her was just another way of self-affirmation.
At the age of 36, the most famous blonde woman committed suicide by swallowing pills due to an unsuccessful love for Kennedy. There are still rumors that it was not suicide, but a planned murder. We will never know the truth.
Margaret Ann Bulkley (1792/1795—1865)
In the past, any aristocrat could faint even at the sight of a mouse in the living room. It is not surprising that society protected lovely ladies from nervous shocks and did not allow them to engage in science, especially medicine. However, once a century a selfless girl was born who wanted only one thing - to save human lives. This is exactly what an Englishwoman named Margaret Anne Bulkley was like.
Little is known about the early years of the first female surgeon, although biographers are sure of one thing: she was not interested in shoes and dresses, but dissecting frogs was to her liking. Shortly before Margaret came of age, she admitted to her parents that she wanted to become a doctor and would not accept any objections. Details of family dialogue are hidden in the depths of the past. Only one thing is known: the beauty’s ambitions were supported by her relatives and helped her enter the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Edinburgh, on the condition that she disguise herself as a man and take the name James Barry.
Margaret, without hesitation, agreed and left. For all the curious neighbors, they came up with a legend that Miss Bulkley went on a trip around the world with her mother. Meanwhile, Margaret learned the art of healing, became the best student on the course, received a diploma with honors and returned to London. To improve her qualifications, she only had to pass exams at the English Royal College of Surgeons.
At that time, Margaret completely got used to the image of James Barry. Putting aside her fears, she asked to serve in the British Army. She first worked at a hospital in Chelsea, then moved to the Royal Military Hospital in Plymouth, where on December 7, 1815 she received a promotion to assistant surgeon and the rank of lieutenant. A little later, Margaret went to Cape Town to treat wounded British soldiers.
For many years she was a practicing surgeon and became the first doctor to perform a caesarean section, saving the lives of both mother and child. Ironically, people did not react so strongly to the feat of surgeon James Barry - after all, he was a man. Sensational news broke only in 1865 after Barry's death. The maid who washed his body began to claim that there was a dead woman in front of her. The British government classified the information, so the truth about Margaret Bulkeley emerged only in the 50s of the 20th century.
Vivien Leigh as an example of a dizzying career
The role of mother and wife was never enough for this woman. She wanted to be an actress, she wanted worldwide recognition. When her daughter was two years old, Vivienne starred in a cameo role in the film Things Are Looking Up. After that, there were dozens of roles in the theater, star roles with the best Hollywood directors, and two unsuccessful marriages.
Her biography is an example of determination, loyalty to a dream and perseverance. During her career, Vivien starred in 52 films, received an Oscar, and actively participated in theatrical productions. She died in 1967 from pulmonary tuberculosis.
Queen Elizabeth I
As the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn (who was herself quite a famous person), Elizabeth I is known to many as a lady who remained unmarried for her entire life, and in an era when this was practically impossible, especially for the heir to the throne. Despite this fact, her reign is considered one of the most successful in the history of England. At the same time, disputes often arose about this person. Some consider her an angry and tough woman.
Famous female models
In the middle of the last century, the fashionable profession of a model appeared. It consisted of demonstrating new styles of clothing on the catwalk. With the development of the media, and then the Internet, another prestigious and in-demand profession appeared - photo model.
Who doesn’t know the “five supermodels”: Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer, Linda Evangelista, Cindy Crawford and Eva Herzigova? Their names will forever remain associated with the podium, fame and admiration of the most enviable men in the world. Every magazine was full of photos of famous female supermodels; the world's most famous photographers dreamed of taking them.
The biographies of these women after leaving the podium were quite successful. Cindy Crawford is now happily married and has two children, who are already taking their first steps in the modeling business.
Naomi Campbell - the “black panther”, as journalists nicknamed her - lives her life in the best places on the globe with the best men and does not deny herself anything. She is still actively invited as a guest star at fashion shows and for filming music videos. She leads an active social life.
Eva Herzigova is fluent in four languages. This allows her to move freely around the globe and not experience difficulties with communication. Eva also sought to make a career as an actress, but things did not work out. Now she is married and leads a quiet lifestyle.
Claudia Schiffer is the record holder for the number of magazine covers decorated with her face. More than 900 issues of fashion magazines invited her to shoot as a “cover star.” Today she is happily married, raising children and occasionally appears in German secular society.
