Politicians from Russia

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Russian Politicians of all time. This list of famous Russian Politicians is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography's online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Russian Politicians.

1. #1

   

   Vladimir Lenin

   1870 - 1924

   HPI 91.51209 languages

   Vladimir Lenin is most famous for the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, which led to the establishment of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

2. #2

   

   Vladimir Putin

   b. 1952

   HPI 90.03229 languages

   Vladimir Putin is most famous for being the president of Russia and for being a former KGB agent.

3. #3

   

   Nicholas II of Russia

   1868 - 1918

   HPI 87.96110 languages

   Nicholas II of Russia is most famous for being the last tsar of Russia, and for being overthrown in the Russian Revolution.

4. #4

   

   Mikhail Gorbachev

   1931 - 2022

   HPI 87.63156 languages

   Mikhail Gorbachev is most famous for being the last leader of the Soviet Union. He was in power from 1985 to 1991 and is known for his policies of glasnost and perestroika, which are credited with ending the Cold War.

5. #5

   

   Kim Jong-il

   1941 - 2011

   HPI 87.59117 languages

   Kim Jong-il is most famous for being the leader of North Korea from 1994 to 2011. He was also the father of Kim Jong-un, who is the current leader of North Korea.

6. #6

   

   Peter the Great

   1672 - 1725

   HPI 86.89151 languages

   Peter the Great was most famous for reforming Russia's government, military, and economy. He also expanded the country's territory by conquering new land.

7. #7

   

   Nikita Khrushchev

   1894 - 1971

   HPI 85.59126 languages

   Nikita Khrushchev was the Soviet Premier from 1953 to 1964. He is most famous for his speech at the 20th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in 1956, where he denounced the cult of personality of Joseph Stalin.

8. #8

   

   Ivan the Terrible

   1530 - 1584

   HPI 84.95104 languages

   Ivan the Terrible was the first tsar of Russia. He was a cruel and ruthless leader who conquered the Russian people. He was most famous for his conquests, which he used to expand Russia's borders.

9. #9

   

   Boris Yeltsin

   1931 - 2007

   HPI 84.88135 languages

   Boris Yeltsin was the first president of Russia following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. He was in office from 1991 to 1999. Yeltsin is most famous for his decision to dissolve the Soviet Union and for his leadership in the first Chechen War.

10. #10

    

    Yuri Andropov

    1914 - 1984

    HPI 82.3399 languages

    Yuri Andropov was the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 12 November 1982 to 9 February 1984. He is most famous for his anti-alcohol campaign, which was an attempt to combat alcoholism in the Soviet Union.