Moscow State University

Discover the notable alumni of Moscow State University. The list includes people like Mikhail Gorbachev, Sergey Brin, Oleg Deripaska, Lev Vygotsky & Boris Pasternak. This list of notable alumni is loosely sorted by popularity and has people from different domains of life, such as intellectuals & academics, writers, leaders, scientists and business people etc.
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 1 
Mikhail Gorbachev
(Former General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union)
Mikhail Gorbachev
41
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: March 2, 1931
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Privol'noe, Russia
Died: August 30, 2022

Born into a poor peasant family, Mikhail Gorbachev went on to become one of the most influential figures of the Soviet Union. He served in various positions, most notably as the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. He is regarded as one of the most prominent personalities of the 20th century.

 2 
Anton Chekhov
(One of the Greatest Writers of All Time)
Anton Chekhov
20
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: January 29, 1860
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Taganrog, Russia
Died: July 15, 1904

Anton Chekhov was a Russian short-story writer and playwright. Widely regarded as one of the greatest writers of short fiction, Chekhov's works have influenced the progression of the modern short story. As a playwright, Anton Chekhov is credited with influencing the rise of modernism in theatre, along with August Strindberg and Henrik Ibsen.

 3 
Wassily Kandinsky
(Russian Painter, Art Theorist and a Pioneer in Abstract Art)
Wassily Kandinsky
12
Birthdate: December 16, 1866
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Moscow, Russia
Died: December 13, 1944
Russian painter Wassily Kandinsky is considered the pioneer of abstract art. Known for notable works such as On White II and Study for Improvisation, he was a prominent artist of the Blue Rider Period and experimented with expressionism. He also earned a professorship at the University of Dorpat
 4 
Mariya Putina
(Russian Pediatric Endocrinologist and Eldest Daughter of Russian President Vladimir Putin)
Mariya Putina
96
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: April 28, 1985
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Saint Petersburg, Russia
Maria Vorontsova, the eldest daughter of Russian president Vladimir Putin, is a pediatric endocrinologist and Putin's advisor in genetic engineering. She has also co-written a book on idiopathic stunting in kids. She is currently a PhD candidate at Moscow’s Endocrinology Research Centre and is married to Dutch entrepreneur Jorrit Faassen.
 5 
Evgenia Medvedeva
(Former Competitive Russian Figure Skater)
Evgenia Medvedeva
12
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: November 19, 1999
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Moscow, Russia

Evgenia Medvedeva is a Russian figure skater who has won two silver Olympic medals, two World Championship gold medals, and two European Championship gold medals. At the 2017 World Championships, Medvedeva became the first 16-year-old female skater after Michelle Kwan to win back-to-back world titles. Evgenia Medvedeva is also the first skater to achieve two Grand Slams in a row. 

 6 
Lev Vygotsky
(Soviet Psychologist Known for His Work on Psychological Development in Children)
Lev Vygotsky
40
Birthdate: November 17, 1896
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Orsha, Belarus
Died: June 11, 1934

Lev Vygotsky was a Soviet psychologist best remembered for his groundbreaking work on developmental psychology in children. He is also remembered for his work on the relationship between thought and language, which remains influential to this day. A man with various interests, Vygotsky's work covered topics like the philosophy of science and the psychology of art.

 7 
Anna Politkovskaya
(Russian Journalist and Human Rights Activist)
Anna Politkovskaya
9
Birthdate: August 30, 1958
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: New York, New York, United States
Died: October 7, 2006

Anna Politkovskaya was a Russian writer, journalist, and human rights activist. She is best remembered for reporting the Second Chechen War. In spite of various acts of intimidation and violence, Politkovskaya never gave up reporting on the war. Her efforts and work earned her several international awards, such as the IWMF Courage in Journalism Award. Politkovskaya was murdered in 2006.

 8 
Andrei Sakharov
(Soviet Nuclear Physicist, Dissident and Winner of the 1975 Nobel Prize for Peace)
Andrei Sakharov
2
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: May 21, 1921
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Moscow, Russia
Died: December 14, 1989

Andrei Sakharov was a Russian dissident and nuclear physicist best remembered for designing RDS-37, Soviet Union's first two-stage hydrogen bomb. Also an activist for peace and human rights, Andrei Sakharov was honored with the Nobel Peace Prize in 1975. The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, which is awarded by the European Parliament, is named in his honor.

 9 
Andrey Melnichenko
(Industrialist)
Andrey Melnichenko
3
Listed In: Business People
Birthdate: March 8, 1972
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Gomel, Belarus
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
 10 
Ivan Turgenev
(Novelist, Short Story Writer, Poet & Popularizer of Russian Literature in the West)
Ivan Turgenev
2
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: November 9, 1818
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Oryol, Russia
Died: September 3, 1883

It is believed Russian novelist Ivan Turgenev was highly inspired by his dominant mother in his younger days and thus created strong female characters in his novels later. He is remembered for popularizing Russian literature and realism in the West. One of his most notable works was Father and Sons.

 11 
Tony Hoare
(Computer scientist)
Tony Hoare
0
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: January 11, 1934
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Colombo, Sri Lanka

Tony Hoare is a British computer scientist who is credited with developing the sorting algorithm quicksort. He is also credited with developing Hoare logic, a formal system for verifying program correctness. Over the years, Tony Hoare has received several prestigious awards for his contribution to computer science.

 12 
Oleg Deripaska
(Entrepreneur, Investor, Businessperson)
Oleg Deripaska
4
Listed In: Business People
Birthdate: January 2, 1968
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Dzerzhinsk, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, Russian SFSR

Oleg Deripaska is a Russian industrialist. He is credited with founding one of the country's largest industrial groups, Basic Element. Also known for his philanthropic efforts, Deripaska is credited with establishing Russia's largest charitable foundation, Volnoe Delo Foundation. A humanitarian, Oleg Deripaska donated money during the COVID-19 pandemic to build hospitals in Siberia.

 13 
Katerina Tikhonova
(The Second Daughter of Russian President Vladimir Putin)
Katerina Tikhonova
42
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: August 31, 1986
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Dresden, Germany

Katerina Tikhonova is a Russian acrobatic dancer who finished fifth at a world championship event held in Switzerland in 2013. The daughter of Vladimir Putin, Tikhonova serves as director of the National Intellectual Reserve Centre (NIRC) and National Intellectual Development Foundation (NIDF), which are initiatives of Moscow State University.

 14 
Mahmoud Darwish
7
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: March 13, 1941
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Al-Birwa
Died: August 9, 2008

Revered as the Palestinian national poet, Mahmoud Darwish was born in al-Birwa, a village that was ravaged by Israelis. He was exiled in Paris and Beirut for many years and was even once put in prison for reciting a poem. His writing style merged traditional Arabic forms with modern elements.

 15 
Saule Omarova
(Lawyer)
Saule Omarova
2
Listed In: Lawyers & Judges
Birthdate: November 2, 1966
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: West Kazakhstan Province, Kazakhstan
 16 
Irina Baeva
(Russian Actress and Model)
Irina Baeva
1
Birthdate: October 25, 1992
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Moscow, Russia
Height: 5'5" (165 cm)
 17 
Georgy Lvov
(8th Prime Minister of Russia (March 1917 - July 1917))
Georgy Lvov
0
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: November 2, 1861
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Dresden, Germany
Died: March 7, 1925

Russian statesman Georgy Lvov created history by becoming the first prime minister of the Russian provisional government formed during the 1917 February Revolution. A qualified lawyer, he worked in civil service for a few years, before joining the Kadet Party, or the Constitutional Democratic Party.

 18 
L. L. Zamenhof
(Linguist, Ophthalmologist, Inventor, Poet, Translator, Esperantist, Physician, Writer, Bible translator)
L. L. Zamenhof
2
Birthdate: December 15, 1859
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Białystok
Died: April 14, 1917

L. L. Zamenhof was an ophthalmologist best remembered for creating the most widely spoken international auxiliary language, Esperanto. He came up with the constructed language after being consumed by the idea of a warless world. L. L. Zamenhof received several honors for creating Esperanto, including the Légion d'honneur. He also received 12 nominations for the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize.

 19 
Sergei Yesenin
(One of the Most Popular Russian Lyric Poets of the 20th Century)
Sergei Yesenin
1
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: October 3, 1895
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Konstantinovo, Russia
Died: December 28, 1925

Born into a peasant family, Russian lyrical poet Sergei Yesenin was a significant figure of Imaginism. Known as "the last poet of wooden Russia," Yesenin soared to fame with works such as Radunitsa. He later committed suicide in a hotel, having written his last poem in his own blood.

 20 
Margarita Louis-Dreyfus
(Businesswoman)
Margarita Louis-Dreyfus
4
Listed In: Business People
Birthdate: July 1, 1962
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Saint Petersburg, Russia

Born in Russia, Swiss billionaire Margarita Louis-Dreyfus initially studied law and economics. She became an heir to the agricultural and food-processing commodities giant Louis-Dreyfus group after her husband Robert Louis-Dreyfus’s death. At 53, she became a mother of twins, with her partner Philipp Hildebrand. She was featured on Forbes Billionaires 2021.

 21 
Immanuel Velikovsky
0
Birthdate: June 10, 1895
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Vitebsk
Died: November 17, 1979

Immanuel Velikovsky is remembered for his concepts such as cosmogony. He initially studied medicine and psychology, and later devoted his life to his research on ancient myths and legends, attempting to establish their historical authenticity. In spite of facing the hostility of scientists, his Worlds in Collision became a bestseller.

 22 
Andrey Kolmogorov
(Russian Mathematician Who Contributed to ‘Probability Theory’, ‘Probability Space’, ‘Topology’, ‘Intuitionistic Logic’ and ‘Turbulence Studies’)
Andrey Kolmogorov
3
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: April 25, 1903
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Tambov, Russia
Died: October 20, 1987

Russian mathematician Andrey Kolmogorov lost his mother at birth and was raised by his aunts. His talent in mathematics was discovered when he joined the Moscow State University to study history and math, while simultaneously studying metallurgy elsewhere. His greatest contribution to mathematics was in the field of probability theory.

 23 
Irina Abramovich
(Roman Abramovich's Ex-Wife)
Irina Abramovich
1
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: 1967 AD
Birthplace: Russia
 24 
Eugene Kaspersky
(computer scientist, programmer, inventor)
Eugene Kaspersky
2
Listed In: Business People
Birthdate: October 4, 1965
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Novorossiysk
 25 
John Dramani Mahama
(President of Ghana)
John Dramani Mahama
3
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: November 29, 1958
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Damongo

John Dramani Mahama is a Ghanaian politician who served as the president of Ghana from July 2012 to January 2017. He was previously the vice president of Ghana from January 2009 to July 2012. He is the first head of state of Ghana to have been born after Ghana's independence. He is a staunch campaigner for sustainability. 

 26 
Boris Berezovsky
(Russian Business Oligarch, Government Official, Engineer and Mathematician)
Boris Berezovsky
2
Listed In: Business People
Birthdate: January 23, 1946
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Moscow, Russia
Died: March 23, 2013

Russian business-tycoon, engineer, mathematician and government official Boris Berezovsky is counted among the famed Russian oligarchs who made their fortunes during the 1990s, when Russia was going through privatization of state property. He remained a vocal critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin since the latter’s election as president in 2000 and was granted political asylum by the UK in 2003.

 27 
Vladimir Pozner Jr.
(Journalist, TV Personality)
Vladimir Pozner Jr.
1
Birthdate: April 1, 1934
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Paris, France
Height: 5'6" (168 cm)
 28 
Vladimir Zhirinovsky
(Member of the State Duma since 1993)
Vladimir Zhirinovsky
1
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: April 25, 1946
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
 29 
Yuri Bezmenov
(Journalist)
Yuri Bezmenov
1
Birthdate: 1939 AD
Birthplace: Mytishchi, Russia
Died: January 5, 1993
 30 
Vsevolod Meyerhold
(Russian and Soviet Theatre Director, Actor and Theatrical Producer)
Vsevolod Meyerhold
1
Birthdate: February 9, 1874
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Penza, Russia
Died: February 2, 1940

Initially part of the Moscow Art Theatre, Russian director-actor Vsevolod Meyerhold is remembered for pioneering avant-garde theories of symbolism in theater. He also paved the path for biomechanics in Russian theater and created masterpieces such as The Magnificent Cuckold. He was executed, and his wife was murdered, during the Great Purge.

 31 
Roman Jakobson
(Linguist)
Roman Jakobson
0
Birthdate: October 11, 1896
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Moscow
Died: July 18, 1982
 32 
Ivan Ilyin
(Russian Political Philosopher, Jurist, Orator, Publicist, and Conservative Monarchist)
Ivan Ilyin
0
Birthdate: April 9, 1883
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Moscow, Russian Empire
Died: December 21, 1954
 33 
Alexander Ostrovsky
(Russian Playwright)
Alexander Ostrovsky
0
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: April 12, 1823
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Moscow, Russia
Died: June 14, 1886

One of the greatest Russian playwrights to have ever lived, Alexander Ostrovsky represented the realistic period. A law school graduate, he initially worked as a law clerk. His play Bankrot was banned because of its controversial topic. He was also associated with the Maly Theatre of Moscow.

 34 
Vasily Grossman
(Writer)
Vasily Grossman
0
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: December 12, 1905
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Berdychiv, Ukraine
Died: September 14, 1964

Russian author and journalist, Vasily Grossman, by training a chemical engineer, began writing fulltime at the age of twenty-five, eventually publishing several short stories and novels, including Life and Fate and Forever Flowing. Considered a threat, these works were later censured. A war correspondent during WWII, he was also one of the first journalists to write on Treblinka extermination camp.

 35 
Dmitry Rogozin
(Russian Politician and Former Director General of Roscosmos (2018 - 2022))
Dmitry Rogozin
0
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: December 21, 1963
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Moscow

Russian politician Dmitry Rogozin has not just been the Russian ambassador to NATO but has also headed the Russian space agency Roscosmos as its director general. He also led the nationalist political party Rodina and has been Russia’s deputy prime minister for Defense and Space Industry.

 36 
Yevgeny Primakov
(Prime Minister of Russia from 1998 to 1999)
Yevgeny Primakov
1
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: October 29, 1929
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Kyiv, Ukraine
Died: June 26, 2015

Former Russian prime minister Yevgeny Primakov had begun his career as a journalist for Pravda. He later went on multiple espionage missions as a KGB official, using the codename MAKSIM. He also denied reports that his father was a victim of the Stalinist purge and that he had changed his surname.

 37 
Lev Shestov
(Former existentialist and religious philosopher best known for his critiques of both philosophic rationalism and scientism)
Lev Shestov
1
Birthdate: February 12, 1866
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Kyiv, Ukraine
Died: November 19, 1938
 38 
Raisa Gorbacheva
(Russian Activist and Wife of the Former President of the Soviet Union ‘Mikhail Gorbachev’)
Raisa Gorbacheva
11
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: January 5, 1932
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Rubtsovsk, Russia
Died: September 20, 1999

Raisa Gorbacheva was a Russian activist who was actively involved in the preservation of Russian cultural heritage, treatment programs for children suffering from blood cancer, and fostering of new talent. She was married to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and was one of the few wives of Soviet leaders to have a high-profile career of her own.  

 39 
Boris Akunin
(Writer of detective and historical fiction)
Boris Akunin
3
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: May 20, 1956
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Zestafoni, Georgia
 40 
Elvira Nabiullina
(Russian Economist and Governor of the Bank of Russia)
Elvira Nabiullina
1
Listed In: Business People
Birthdate: October 29, 1963
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Ufa, Russia

The first woman to serve as the governor of the Central Bank of Russia, Elvira Nabiullina has also been an economic advisor to Russian president Vladamir Putin. The daughter of a factory manager mother and a driver father, she made it to the Forbes Power Women 2020 list.

 41 
Lyubov Sobol
(Russian Political Leader and Lawyer)
Lyubov Sobol
2
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: September 13, 1987
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Moscow Oblast, Russia

Lyubov Sobol is a Russian public and political figure. An influential personality, Sobol serves as a lawyer of a nonprofit organization called the Anti-Corruption Foundation. In 2019, BBC included her in the leadership category of its list of 100 inspiring and influential women from around the world.

 42 
Jang Song-thaek
(Former Minister of the State Security Department)
Jang Song-thaek
5
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: January 22, 1946
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Chongjin, Northern Korea
Died: December 12, 2013
 43 
Nadezhda Tolokonnikova
(Singer)
Nadezhda Tolokonnikova
3
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: November 7, 1989
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Norilsk
 44 
Sergei Bodrov Jr.
(Russian Actor Who Died Due to a Ice-Slide in Kolka Glacier While Filming)
Sergei Bodrov Jr.
3
Birthdate: December 27, 1971
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Moscow, Russia
Died: September 20, 2002

The son of Russian film director Sergei Bodrov, Sergei Bodrov Jr. started his career with his father’s movies, such as Prisoner of the Mountains. His performance in Brother made him a star in Russia. He went missing along with his crew after an avalanche hit them in the Caucasus while directing The Messenger.

 45 
Varlam Shalamov
(Writer)
Varlam Shalamov
1
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: June 18, 1907
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Vologda, Russia
Died: January 17, 1982
 46 
Ion Iliescu
(Former President of Romania)
Ion Iliescu
7
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: March 3, 1930
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Oltenița

Former president of Romania Ion Iliescu was in the news when in 2018, he was charged with crimes against humanity for being involved in the revolts following the toppling of the communist rule in 1989. He denied the charges, though over 800 people were killed after he assumed power.

 47 
Alexander Oparin
(Former Biochemist known for contributions to the theory of the origin of life, oacervates)
Alexander Oparin
0
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: March 2, 1894
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Uglich, Russia
Died: April 21, 1980
 48 
Ivan Goncharov
(Novelist)
Ivan Goncharov
0
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: June 18, 1812
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Ulyanovsk, Russia
Died: September 1, 1891

Russian novelist and travel writer Ivan Goncharov is best remembered for his novel Oblomov. Born into an affluent merchant family, he later had a 30-year stint as an official, working for the ministries of finance and censorship. In his memoir, An Uncommon Story, he accused many authors of plagiarizing his works.

 49 
Julia Apostoli
(Greek Former Professional Tennis Player)
Julia Apostoli
2
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: August 13, 1964
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Moscow, Russia

Julia Apostoli is a Soviet-born former professional tennis player. She has represented both the Soviet Union and Greece internationally. The daughter of football player Sergei Salnikov, she was introduced to sports as a child. She made her debut with the Soviet Union Fed Cup team in 1980.  She won a gold medal in women's doubles at the 1984 Friendship Games. 

 50 
Kim Kyong-hui
(Military officer)
Kim Kyong-hui
5
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: May 30, 1946
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Pyongyang, North Korea