2 Alexander Pushkin(The Greatest Russian Poet and the Founder of Modern Russian Literature)
3 Boris Pasternak(Poet)
Son of an artist father and a pianist mother, Boris Pasternak initially wished to become a musician. He is best known for his novel Doctor Zhivago, set against backdrop of the Russian Revolution. The Soviet Communists forced him to decline the Nobel Prize, which his descendants later accepted.
4 Vladimir Mayakovsky(Poet)

5 Anna Akhmatova(Poet)

One of the greatest Russian women poets, Anna Akhmatova had started writing poems at age 11. She was part of the Acmeists, who laid down their own style, Acmeism. Poema bez geroya and Requiem remain two of her finest works. She later wrote about the horrors of the Stalinist regime.
6 Ivan Turgenev(Novelist, Short Story Writer, Poet & Popularizer of Russian Literature in the West)
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.
7 Eduard Limonov(Writer and Founder of 'National Bolshevik Party')

The firebrand National Bolshevik Party leader Eduard Limonov gained fame with his first novel, It's Me, Eddie, which contained explicit sexual imagery and obscene language, and was written while he was in literary exile in New York. He was also part of The Other Russia, a group of Putin opposers.
8 Mikhail Lermontov(Former Romantic poet and author of the novel A Hero of Our Time)

One of the most significant Russian romantic authors of the Golden Age of Russian Poetry, Mikhail Lermontov is remembered for his iconic novel A Hero of Our Time. His initial poems, such as Prisoner of the Caucasus, were highly Byronic. His writings laid the foundation for the Russian psychological novel.
9 Sergei Yesenin(Poet)

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.
10 Arkady Strugatsky(Author)

11 Joseph Brodsky(Essayist & Poet)
12 Maya Deren(Filmmaker)

13 Gala DalÃ(Poet)

14 Ivan Bunin(Writer)
Ivan Bunin was a Russian writer whose stories and poems are regarded as one of the richest collection of works in the Russian language. In 1933, Ivan Bunin became the first Russian writer to be honored with the prestigious Nobel Prize for Literature. Subsequently, he donated 100,000 francs to a charity fund.
15 Chinghiz Aitmatov(Author)

16 Ilya Ehrenburg(Poet)

17 Marina Tsvetaeva(Poet)

18 Yevgeny Yevtushenko(Writer Best Known for 'Babiyy Yar', a Political Poem)

Russian author Yevgeny Yevtushenko, known for works such as Wild Berries and Bratsk Station, is also remembered for his advocacy of artistic freedom in Russian literature rather than a reliance on political overtones. Following the death of Stalin, he focused on using unadulterated language and lyrics with a personal touch.
19 Natalia Pushkina(Former Poet who was wife of the Russian poet Alexander Pushkin)

20 Aleksey Nikolayevich Tolstoy(Writer Who Specialized in Science Fiction and Historical Novels)

Aleksey Nikolayevich Tolstoy, also known as Comrade Count, initially tasted fame with the novel Nikita’s Childhood and then redefined the science-fiction, thriller, and historical novel genres. As part of the Extraordinary State Commission, he was the first to ascertain that the Nazis had used gas vans during World War II.
21 Grand Duke Constantine Constantinovich of Russia(Grandson of Emperor Nicholas I of Russia, and a poet)

22 Daniil Kharms(Poet)

23 Nâzım Hikmet(Poet)

Turkish poet and author Nâzım Hikmet was chiefly known as a Romantic Communist. After being jailed in Turkey for his political activities, he spent the rest of his life in the Soviet Union and eastern Europe. He redefined Turkish literature with his free verse and poems such as Åžeyh Bedreddin destanı.
24 Osip Mandelstam(Poet)

25 Hayim Nahman Bialik(Writer)

26 Varlam Shalamov(Writer)

27 Sergey Mikhalkov(Author)

28 Zinovia Dushkova(Writer)

Zinovia Dushkova is a Russian poet, historian, philosopher, and author. A prominent writer, Dushkova's works have been translated into seven languages. In 2015, she was honored with the 20 Years of Gagauzia Medal. In 2017, Zinovia Dushkova’s book, The Call of the Heart, was honored at the Nautilus Book Awards with a silver medal in the United States of America.
29 Alexandr Griboyedov(Author Recognized as 'homo unius libri' for His Work 'Woe from Wit')

Russian playwright Alexandr Griboyedov is best remembered for his comedy Gore ot uma, or Woe from Wit. He participated in the Decembrist revolt and even got arrested once. He was the Russian Ambassador to Iran and died at the hands of an Iranian mob during an attack on the embassy.
30 Andrei Platonov(Writer)

31 Eldar Ryazanov(Film Director, Screenwriter)

32 Bulat Okudzhava(Poet)

33 Alexander Bashlachev(Poet)

34 Arseny Tarkovsky(Poet, Translator)

35 Aleksey Konstantinovich Tolstoy(One of the Most Important 19th-Century Russian Historical Dramatist)

Aleksey Konstantinovich Tolstoy was the second cousin of Leo Tolstoy and a gifted poet, playwright, novelist, and satirist, who often made use of historical themes. His iconic trilogy of historical dramas, consisting of The Death of Ivan the Terrible, Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich, and Tsar Boris, was widely acclaimed.
36 Andrei Bely(Novelist)

37 Olga Ivinskaya(Poet)

38 Nikolay Karamzin(Writer)

39 Vasily Zhukovsky(Was a Russian writer who wrote in many genres)

Born as an illegitimate son of a Russian landowner father and a Turkish slave mother, Vasily Zhukovsky had initially been the tutor of Tsar-Liberator Alexander II. He later co-founded the Arzamas society, which opposed classicism in poetry. With his poems and translations, he brought the Romantic Movement to Russia.
40 Nikolay Nekrasov(Poet who Introduced Ternary Meters and the Technique of Dramatic Monologue into Russian Poetry)

Russian poet Nikolay Nekrasov established himself as a successful businessman before stepping into writing. He bought and developed the magazine Sovremennik, or The Contemporary. Most of his poems, such as Red-Nosed Frost, spoke about the misery of the peasant class. He also introduced the dramatic monologue to Russian literature.
41 Yegor Letov(Poet, Composer)

42 Mira Mendelson(Poet)

43 Alexander Rosenbaum(Singer)

Born into a family of doctors, Alexander Rosenbaum, too, had initially been a doctor. However, later emerged as one of the greatest singing poets of Russia, best known for his blatnaya pesnya songs such as Gop-Stop, which described the criminal subculture of his country. He was also named the People's Artist of Russia.
44 Nikolay Gumilyov(Poet)

45 Anatoly Lukyanov(Politician)

46 Dmitry Merezhkovsky(Novelist)

47 Vladimir Paley(Writer)

48 Igor Talkov(Singer)

49 Velimir Khlebnikov(Poet)

50 Korney Chukovsky(Poet)
