Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) Leonov, Leonid Maksimovich lyāənyētˈ məksyēmˈəvĭch lyāôˈnəf [key], 1899–1994, Russian novelist and playwright. Leonov was a major figure in the development of psychological and social r...

(Encyclopedia) Andreyev, Leonid Nikolayevich lyāənyētˈ nyĭkəlīˈəvĭch əndrāˈyəf [key], 1871–1919, Russian writer. Andreyev's early stories were realistic studies of everyday life. Gorky was attracted ...

(Encyclopedia) Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilyich ĭlyēchˈ chīkôfˈskē [key], 1840–93, Russian composer, b. Kamsko-Votkinsk. Variant transliterations of his name include Tschaikovsky and Chaikovsky. He is a towering f...

(Encyclopedia) Gromyko, Andrei Andreyevich grōmēˈkō, Rus. əndrāˈ əndrāˈyəvĭch grəmĭˈkə [key], 1909–89, Soviet diplomat. A member of the Communist party from 1931, he entered (1939) the diplomatic s...

(Encyclopedia) Lenin, Vladimir Ilyich lĕnˈĭn, Rus. vlədyēˈmĭr ĭlyēchˈ lyĕˈnĭn [key], 1870–1924, Russian revolutionary, the founder of Bolshevism and the major force behind the Revolution of Oct., 1917...

(Encyclopedia) Podgorny, Nikolai Viktorovich nēkôlyīˈ vēkˈtôrəvĭch pōdgôrˈnyē [key], 1903–83, Soviet Communist leader, b. Ukraine. An engineer, trained at the Technological Institute of the Food Indus...

(Encyclopedia) Shelepin, Aleksandr əlyĭksänˈdər shĕlĕˈpĭn [key], 1918–94, political leader in the Soviet Union. Active in the Young Communist League from the early 1940s, he later became its head (1952–...

(Encyclopedia) glasnost gläsˈnōst [key], Soviet cultural and social policy of the late 1980s. Following his ascension to the leadership of the USSR in 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev began to promote a policy of openness...

(Encyclopedia)  Russian and Soviet Rulers since 1462(including dates of rule) House of Rurik House of Godunov Usurpers House of Romanov Provisional Government(premiers) Soviet Russia (1917–22) and the U...

(Encyclopedia) Suslov, Mikhail Andreyevich mēkhəyēlˈ əndrāˈyəvĭch so͝oslôfˈ [key], 1902–82, Soviet politician and ideologist. A Communist party member since 1921, he rose to prominence in the party hie...