Georgian

Controversial Russian dictator, Joseph Stalin, ruled the Soviet Union for around 25 years from 1929 to 1953 and is credited for making it a prominent industrial and military power of the world. During the Second World War, his army defeated the Nazis too. However, his regime was also one of terror and brutality where numerous Soviet citizens lost their lives.

Ekaterine "Kato" Svanidze, a shy girl from a poor Georgian family, was the first of Joseph Stalin’s two wives. Stalin, then 24, fell in love with a 16-year-old Kato while studying together at the Tiflis Spiritual Seminary. She died a year after the birth of their son, Yakov.

Khatia Buniatishvili is a Georgian-French pianist. Buniatishvili has been playing since the age of three and gave her first concert when she was just six years old. She then went on to play at an international stage at the age of 10. Buniatishvili is known for her association with Sony Classical, which has produced many of her solo piano albums.

Sergey Yosifovich Paradzhanov was a Soviet film director, artist, and screenwriter. He is best remembered for making important contributions to world cinema with films like The Color of Pomegranates and Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors. Sergei Parajanov is widely regarded as one of the most influential and greatest filmmakers in cinema history.

Tamta is a Georgian-Greek singer who participated in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2019 where she represented Cyprus with the song Replay; Tamta finished 13th in the contest. Over the years, Tamta has become a household name in Greece and Georgia, having appeared in popular TV shows like Super Idol Greece, X Factor Georgia, and The X Factor Greece.

Georgia-born Nazi Paikidze had earned four European Youth Chess Championships by the time she was 16. She is also a six-time World Youth Chess Championship winner. The Woman Grandmaster and International Master later moved to Moscow and then to the US, where she is currently studying information systems.

Tamara Toumanova was a Georgian-American ballet dancer and actress. She achieved international recognition at a young age when she came to be known as one of the Original Ballet Russe's Baby Ballerinas along with Irina Baronova and Tatiana Riabouchinska. She then performed across Europe and went on to establish herself as an actress, appearing as a dancer in several films.