Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) Sholokhov, Mikhail Aleksandrovich mēkhəyĕlˈ əlyĭksänˈdrəvĭch shôˈləkhŏf [key], 1905–84, Russian novelist. Sholokhov won international fame for an epic novel of his native land, The Sil...

(Encyclopedia) Zoshchenko, Mikhail Mikhailovich mēkhəyēl mēkhīˈləvĭch zôˈshchənkô [key], 1895–1958, Soviet humorist. Zoshchenko was born in Poltava, but spent most of his life in St. Petersburg where h...

(Encyclopedia) Speranski, Mikhail Mikhailovich mēkhəyēlˈ mēkhīˈləvĭch spyĭränˈskē [key], 1772–1839, Russian public official, chief adviser to Czar Alexander I (1808–12). The son of a village priest,...

(Encyclopedia) Saltykov-Shchedrin, Mikhail Evgrafovich mēkhəyēlˈ yĭvgräˈfəvĭch sälˈtĭkôf-shchĕˈdrēn [key], 1826–89, Russian novelist and satirist. Saltykov-Shchedrin was a master of the satirical s...

(Encyclopedia) Baryshnikov, Mikhail mĭˈkhail bərĭˌshnĭkävˈ [key], 1948–, Russian-American dancer and choreographer, b. Riga, Latvia (then in the USSR). He studied in Riga and performed with the Kirov Balle...

(Encyclopedia) Loris-Melikov, Mikhail Tarielovich mēkhəyēlˈ təryĕlˈəvĭch lôˈrĭs-mĕˈlyĭkəf [key], 1826–88, Russian general and statesman, of Armenian descent. He was created count for his services i...

(Encyclopedia) Chernenko, Konstantin Ustinovich kŏstəntyēēnˈ ōōstyēēnˈəvich chĭrnyĕnˈkô [key], 1911–85, Soviet political leader. A protégé of Leonid Brezhnev, he rose through Communist party ranks...

(Encyclopedia) Aliyev, Heydar khāˈdär älēˈyĕf [key], 1923–2003, Azerbaijani political leader, president of Azerbaijan (1993–2003), b. Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, grad. Azerbaijan State Univ. (1957). A...

(Encyclopedia) Barclay de Tolly, Mikhail, Prince mēkhəyēlˈ, bərklīˈ də tôˈlyē [key], 1761–1818, Russian field marshal, of Scottish descent. He gained prominence in the Napoleonic Wars, became minister o...

(Encyclopedia) Kutuzov, Mikhail Ilarionovich mēkhəyēlˈ ēləryônˈəvĭch ko͝oto͞oˈzəf [key], 1745–1813, Russian field marshal. He fought against the Polish Confederation of Bar (see Bar, Confederation of...