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Sergey Puskepalis was born on 15 April 1966 in Kursk, Kurskaya oblast, RSFSR, USSR [now Russia]. He was an actor and director, known for Prostye veshchi (2007), Metro (2013) and How I Ended This Summer (2010). He died on 20 September 2022 in Rostov district of the Yaroslavl region, Russia.

Nikita Khruschev was born on April 17, 1894, into a family of peasants in the village of Kalinovka, Kursk region, Russian Empire. He was raised among agricultural and mining workers. He studied for only two years at grammar school as a child. After the Russian Revolution he joined the Red Army, then joined the Communist party in 1918 and made a career as a politician.

He was active in the Russian revolution and Civil War, when the intellectual elite was brutally killed as well as the family of Nickolas and Alexandra. The Civil War continued for decades in a form of the "Great Terror" and repressions under Joseph Stalin during the 1920s, 30s, 40s and 50s. Under orders from Moscow, Khrushchev participated in massive confiscations of food, crops, forage grains, and supplies, that left millions of peasants starving to death in famines of 1920s-30s. Some areas of Ukraine and Russia suffered so much that people later perceived WWII as liberation from the Soviet regime. In 1931 Khrushchev was promoted to Moscow, where he briefly studied at the Soviet Industrial Academy. In 1934 he became a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party and in 1935 - the 1st Secretary of the Moscow City Committee. In 1938 Khrushchev was appointed the 1st Secretary of the Ukrainian Communist Party and promoted to Politburo.

During WWII Khrushchev was coordinating the defense of Ukraine, while his family was evacuated to Kuibyshev. In 1942-42 he was a political commissar during the battle of Stalingrad. There, frozen Nazi Armies were stopped and lost the battle to the Russian soldiers, who defended their land. Khrushchev was decorated and promoted in the Communist party. He was later a political commissar of the 1st Ukrainian Front, where his deputy was Leonid Brezhnev. Khrushchev patronized Brezhnev, whom he knew since 1931.

After the death of Joseph Stalin on March 5, 1953, and following the elimination of Stalin's inner circle, Khrushchev became the leader of the Communist Party on September 7, 1953. He completed the takeover after the execution of his main rival Lavrenti Beria in December 1953, with the help of the powerful Marshal Georgi Zhukov. Then Khrushchev promoted Leonid Brezhnev in hopes to have a steady ally in the coming power-struggles against the Stalinist conservatives.

In his historic speech on February 23, 1956, Khrushchev denounced Joseph Stalin for his brutal purges and massive executions of people. Khrushchev spoke behind closed doors at the 20th Congress of the Communist Party. His speech was the "new order" message to the ruling Soviet elite. Not everyone liked it, regardless of its many historic benefits. In 1957 Khrushchev with backing from Leonid Brezhnev and Marshal Georgi Zhukov defeated the Stalinist conservatives Vyacheslav Molotov, Georgi Malenkov, and Lazar Kaganovich. Then Khrushchev exiled the powerful Marshal Georgi Zhukov and became the undisputed ruler of the Soviet Union.

Khrushchev's speech was designed to liberate people from Stalin's brutal regime based on manipulative methods of control by fear. The speech was addressed to the Soviet leadership as well as to the people of Russia and other republics, however, the Soviet leadership decided to keep the speech secret from the people. At the same time Khrushchev's speech was available in the rest of the world. After reading Khrushchev's speech, Moshe Dayan said that Soviet Union may disappear in 30 years, and he was off only by 5 years. Although Khrushchev was unable to see that far, he made efforts to liberate intellectuals and to clear innocent victims of the "Great Purges" under Stalin's regime.

In the late 1950's Khrushchev initiated the "Thaw" during the Cold War. Hundreds of thousands of innocent victims of Stalin's "Great Purges" were posthumously cleared of all charges and their sentences were reversed to full rehabilitation. Many surviving intellectuals, actors, like Innokentiy Smoktunovskiy, Georgi Zhzhyonov, Vitali Golovin and others were allowed to return from imprisonment and Siberian exile. Film directors such as Sergei Parajanov, Eldar Ryazanov, Georgiy Daneliya made new kind of films. The First International Festival of Students and Youth was held in Moscow, in 1958. The First International Tchaikovsky Competition was held in Moscow, where the Texan pianist Van Cliburn became the first winner, and was praised by Khrushchev. Some performing artists, like Svyatoslav Richter and Mstislav Rostropovich were allowed to go on personal international concert tours.

Khruschev's "Thaw" liberated the Soviet life to a degree, that allowed some foreign books, movies and music, along with the other previously banned art, literature and music of Sergei Prokofiev, Dmitri Shostakovich, Aram Khachaturyan, publications of Anna Akhmatova, Mikhail Zoschenko, Yuriy Olesha, and others. The 60's generation emerged during the "Thaw" with Yevgeniy Yevtushenko, Bella Akhmadulina, Andrei Voznesensky, Bulat Okudzhava, Vasiliy Aksyonov and other writers. They played an important role in liberation of the collective consciousness after decades of repressions under Joseph Stalin and in changing of some old bans, what later made possible the publication of Mikhail A. Bulgakov. Khrushchev personally approved the 1962 publication by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn about the Stalin's "Gulag" prison-camps.

Khrushchev attacked those whom he failed to understand, like the Nobel Laureate writer Boris Pasternak, poet Andrei Voznesensky, and avant-garde artists. Khrushchev mismanaged agriculture by banning any private farming. His major mistake was forceful replacing of wheat by corn, which could not grow in Russian climate. This and other mistakes caused serious food shortages and the bloody popular uprising in Novocherkassk, in 1962. Khrushchev showed uncivilized and undiplomatic behavior at the UN conference by insulting other delegates verbally and by banging on the table with his fists and with his shoe. Khrushchev pushed the construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961. He made risky political moves and was accused of losing control during the Cuban missile crisis, when the world came to the brink of a nuclear war.

Leonid Brezhnev dismissed Khrushchev on October 14, 1964, after Khrushchev's vacation at the Communist Party owned Black Sea resort. He was stripped of all privileges and lived under house arrest outside Moscow. After his death on September 11, 1971, Khrushchev was not buried officially like other Politburo members near the Kremlin. Instead, he was buried without an official ceremony at the Novodevichy Cemetery. The cold war continued. Khrushchev's historic speech denouncing Joseph Stalin was banned from publication until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Vladimir Friedman was born on 20 June 1959 in Kursk, Russia. He is an actor, known for American Assassin (2017), Golden Voices (2019) and Hold Me Tightly (2024).

Vladimir Basov was a notable Soviet actor and director best known for the leading role as Bruno in Shchit i mech (1968), which he also directed, and his numerous supporting roles, such as Floor Polisher in Ya shagayu po Moskve (1964) (aka.. Walking the Streets of Moscow (1963), among other works.

He was born Vladimir Pavlovich Basov on September 17, 1923, in a small town of Urazov, Kursk province, central Russia. His father died in a tragic accident, and young Basov was raised by a single mother. During the Second World War he was wounded in the battlefield fighting the Nazis, and was decorated for his courage. From 1947 - 1951 he studied acting and directing under Mikhail Romm and Sergei Yutkevich at Soviet State Insitute of Cinema (VGIK), graduating in 1952 as film director. From 1952 to 1987 he was a film director at Mosfilm Studios in Moscow.

Basov shot to fame with the leading role as Bruno in popular Soviet war drama Shchit i mech (1968) which he also directed. At that time Basov was among the most popular Soviet filmmakers. He directed such TV movies as Opasnyy povorot (1972), and the popular series Dni Turbinykh (1976) adapted after the eponymous book by Mikhail A. Bulgakov. However, with his success came the attendant pressures, and he suffered from chronic alcoholism, depression, and had several strokes and heart attacks.

Vladimir Basov was designated People's Actor of USSR (1983), and was awarded the State Prize of Russia (1982). He died of a second heart attack on September 17, 1987, in his Moscow home, and was laid to rest in Moscow, Russia.

Tamara Syomina is a Soviet and Russian actress, People's Artist of the RSFSR. She was born in the family of a serviceman, commander of a tank platoon Pyotr Bokhonov. In the childhood of Tamara, the Great Patriotic War broke out tragically - the father was killed at the front. In 1942, her mother, Tamara Vasilyevna, was evacuated with two young children, later came to her grandparents in Bryansk, where Tamara went to school. In 1946, Tamara Vasilyevna met with Pyotr Syomin, who adopted children and became a loving father and a true friend for them. As a token of gratitude, Tamara bears his name. Soon the family moved to Kaluga. Tamara studied here in school until the 8th grade. Tamara really wanted to study to enter the university, and decided to go to the school of young working people. At the school of working youth, she became both a student, a librarian, and a secretary. Tamara was lucky with teachers: literature, for example, was taught by Bulat Okudzhava. The mentors taught Tamara a pedagogical path, but in her heart she dreamed of another. She goes to the Kaluga Pedagogical Institute, but after she takes the documents and leaves for Moscow, having made a decision to become an actress. She graduated from the All-Union State Institute of Cinematography (1961, acting studio of Olga Pyzhova). Acquaintance with the movie happened quickly - already on the first year Syomina was shot in graduate pictures of young directors and cameramen. She played in A. Sakharov in the eccentric comedy 'Man Overboard'; on the second course she met with a young but already famous Marlen Khutsiev in the film Dva Fyodora (1958); at the third year, Tamara excellently coped with a complex dramatic role in the film Vsyo nachinayetsya s dorogi (1960) by Villen Azarov. While studying at the VGIK, almost all teachers predicted Syomina's a beautiful future in the comedy field. And she made a career primarily as a dramatic actress. She was opened in this role by director Mikhail Shvejtser, who in 1959 invited Syomina for the role of Katya Maslova in the film Voskreseniye (1960). For this role, readers of the magazine 'Soviet Screen' recognized Syomina as the best actress in 1961. The film was successfully shown in different countries of the world, and in 1962 at the XV International Film Festival in Locarno Syomina, as the best actress, was awarded the prize of FIPRESCI. She was recognized as the best actress at the film festival in Mar del Plata in Argentina. In the same years on the wide screens came three more films in which Syomina played women with a dramatic fate. They are: Bezottsovshchina (1977) by Vladimir Shamshurin, Traktir na Pyatnitskoy (1978) by Aleksandr Faintsimmer and Mater chelovecheskaya (1975) by Leonid Golovnya.

Valentina Berezutskaya was born on 28 July 1932 in Spasskoe, Medvensky District, Central Black Earth Oblast, RSFSR, USSR [now Kursk Oblast, Russia]. She was an actress, known for Day Watch (2006), Starukhi (2003) and Operation 'Y' & Other Shurik's Adventures (1965). She was married to Vladimir Ageyev. She died on 31 January 2019 in Moscow, Russia.

Denis Vlasenko was born on 18 December 1997 in Kursk, Russia. He is an actor, known for Zakryt geshtalt (2022), Happy End (2021) and Strasti po Matveyu (2023).

Olga Oleksiy was born on 17 September 1980 in Kursk, RSFSR, USSR [now Kursk, Russia]. She is an actress, known for Pes (2015), Vidlunnia (2020) and Sprosite u oseni (2016).

Yuliya Galkina was born on 24 December 1984 in Kursk, RSFSR, USSR [now Russia]. She is an actress, known for Bessonnitsa (2014), Potselui padshikh angelov (2007) and Zakhvat (2024).

Nikolay Sergeev was born on 4 December 1894 in village Ozerki, Shchigry uyezd, Kursk Governorate, Russian Empire [now Shchigrovsky District, Kursk Oblast, Russia]. He was an actor, known for Andrei Rublev (1966), A Big Family (1954) and Ottsy i deti (1959). He died on 8 January 1988 in Moscow, RSFSR, USSR [now Russia].

Boris Dyozhkin is Soviet animator, production designer, artist and screenwriter. One of the prominent figures of the Soviet animation. Honored Artist of the RSFSR (1969).

In 1934 he graduated from art animation courses at the Press House in Moscow. In the same year, he began working in an experimental animation workshop at the GUKF under the leadership of Viktor Smirnov, which was transformed into the Soyuzmultfilm studio in 1936. Dyozhkin made his debut as an animator in the film Fox the Builder (1936), also worked as a production designer. Until 1951, he collaborated with Gennadiy Filippov, with whom he created many joint films. He was very popular as an animator; his sense of rhythm, the ability to synchronize the picture with music set the bar for the entire domestic industry and for many years determined the style of the studio.

In 1946, Dyozhkin shot his first cartoon on sports subjects - A Quiet Glade (1946). Over time, it was this theme that became the main one in his work. Since 1947, he taught at the courses of animated artists at Soyuzmultfilm. Since 1960, Boris Dyozhkin independently worked in animated films, acting as an art director for his films and almost always developing characters.

Igor Sklyar was born on 18 December 1957 in Kursk, Russian SFSR, USSR [now Russia]. He is an actor, known for God sobaki (1994), Ukhodyashchaya natura (2014) and Romanovy: Ventsenosnaya semya (2000).

Arkadiy Gaydar was born on 22 January 1904 in Lgov, Kursk Governorate, Russian Empire [now Kursk Oblast, Russia]. He was a writer, known for Timur i yego komanda (1940), Sudba barabanshchika (1956) and The Ballad of Cossack Golota (1937). He died on 26 October 1941 in Leplyavo, Kanev Raion, Kiev Oblast, Ukrainian SSR, USSR [now Lyuplyava, Kaniv Raion, Cherkasy Oblast, Ukraine].

Leo Galitzine was born in 1905 in Krasnoe, Kursk Governorate, Russian Empire [now Russia]. He is an actor.

Valentin Antsiferov was born on 1 June 2001 in Kursk, Russia. He is an actor, known for Zhiga, Trassa (2024) and Podrostki v kosmose (2024).

Aleksandr Medvedev was born on 27 January 1968 in Kursk, RSFSR, USSR. He is an actor and production manager, known for Orlando (1992), The Tiger Brigades (2006) and Tatort (1970).

Georgi Sviridov was born on 16 December 1915 in Fatezh, Kursk Governorate, Russian Empire [now Kursk Oblast, Russia]. He was a composer, known for Dead Man Walking (1995), Metal Gear Solid (1998) and Lorenzo's Oil (1992). He was married to Elza Gustavovna. He died on 6 January 1998 in Moscow, Russia.

Sergey Shumakov was born on 3 February 1951 in Kursk, Russian SFSR, USSR [now Russia]. He is a producer and writer, known for The Island (2006), The Spy (2012) and Paper Soldier (2008).

Alla Maykova was born on 17 September 1939 in Kursk, RSFSR, USSR. She is an actress, known for Change of Fate (1987), Midshipmen, Onwards! (1988) and Nachni snachala (1986).

Anatoli Chemodurov was born on 21 July 1919 in village Novo-Ivanovka, Kursk Governorate, RSFSR [now Rylsky District, Kursk Oblast, Russia]. He was an actor and assistant director, known for Dream of a Cossack (1951), Waterloo (1970) and Yesli ty muzhchina... (1972). He died on 28 December 1986.

Nikolay Svetlovidov was born on 17 December 1889 in Kursk, Kursk uyezd, Kursk Governorate, Russian Empire [now Kursk Oblast, Russia]. He was an actor, known for Negr iz Sheridana (1933), Volki i ovtsy (1953) and They Met on the Road (1957). He died on 20 November 1970 in Moscow, RSFSR, USSR [now Russia].

Julia Galkina was born on 24 December 1984 in Kursk, Russia, USSR. She is an actress, known for Trukach (Stuntman) (2015) and Skazhi chto-nibud khoroshee (2020).

Pyotr Lubenskiy was born on 21 November 1907 in Korenevo, Kursk Governorate, Russia. Pyotr was a writer, known for Koroleva benzokolonki (1963) and Pervyy paren (1959). Pyotr died on 17 February 2003.

Nikolay Aseev was born on 27 June 1889 in Lgov, Kursk Governorate, Russian Empire [now Kursk Oblast, Russia]. He was a writer, known for The Extraordinary Adventures of Mr. West in the Land of the Bolsheviks (1924), Fedka's Truth (1925) and Pesn na kamne (1926). He was married to Ksenii Mihaylovne Sinyakovoy. He died on 16 July 1963 in Moscow, RSFSR, USSR [now Russia].

Mariya Tolmacheva was born on 14 January 1997 in Kursk, Russia. She is an actress, known for Korolevstvo krivykh zerkal (2007), One to One! (2013) and Junior Eurovision Song Contest (2010).