Biographies

Vitaliy Khmelnytskyi — Soviet-Ukrainian Footballer and Coach Vitaliy Khmelnytskyi Ukrainian-born footballer Vitaliy Khmelnytskyi earned 20 caps for the USSR, played at the 1970 World Cup, won two Soviet Cups in the 1960s and later worked as a coach, including at…

Vitaly Churkin — Russian diplomat, former child actor and long-serving UN representative Vitaly Churkin Concise profile of Vitaly Churkin (1952–2017), a Russian career diplomat, former child actor and Russia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 2006 until his death i…

Vitinho (Victor Vinícius Coelho dos Santos) — Brazilian footballer (born 1993) Vitinho (footballer, born October 1993) Victor Vinícius 'Vitinho' Coelho dos Santos (born 9 October 1993) is a Brazilian attacking player known for dribbling and creativity. He has played in Brazil and Russia and current…

Vito Acconci — artist, designer and architect Vito Acconci Overview of Vito Acconci (1940–2017), an American artist who moved from provocative performance and installation work into landscape and architectural design, noted for the controv…

Vittoria Bogo Deledda (1967–2020) Vittoria Bogo Deledda Italian politician from Sardinia who served as a senator for the Five Star Movement from March 2018 until her death in 2020. Born in Posada, she died of cancer in Budoni at age 53.

Vittoria Colonna: Italian Renaissance poet and marchioness Vittoria Colonna Vittoria Colonna (1490–1547) was an Italian noblewoman and leading poet of the Renaissance, remembered for her Petrarchan sonnets, devotional verse, and influential friendships wit…

Vittorio Arrigoni: Italian reporter, pacifist and Gaza activist (1975–2011) Vittorio Arrigoni Overview of Vittorio Arrigoni, an Italian reporter and pacifist who lived in Gaza, his activism and writings, the circumstances of his 2011 abduction and death, and his legacy in j…

Vittorio Gassman: Italian actor, director and screenwriter Vittorio Gassman Vittorio Gassman (1922–2000), nicknamed Il Mattatore, was a leading Italian stage and screen actor, director and writer known for his versatility, comic timing and roles in major I…

Vittorio Zucconi — Italian journalist, correspondent and author Vittorio Zucconi Profile of Vittorio Zucconi (1944–2019), an Italian journalist and author, longtime U.S. correspondent for la Repubblica, director of its online edition, and a commentator on Ameri…

Vitus Bering: Danish-born Explorer in Russian Service Vitus Bering Vitus Bering (1681–1741), a Danish navigator who served the Russian navy, led two major Pacific expeditions that clarified the separation of Asia and North America and left a lasti…

Vivian Liberto Cash Distin Vivian Cash Vivian Liberto (1934–2005) was the first wife of singer Johnny Cash, mother of their four daughters, and a private figure who later remarried. She divorced Cash amid his addiction…

Vivian Perlis: Founder of Yale's Oral History of American Music Vivian Perlis Vivian L. Perlis (1928–2019) was an American musicologist and librarian who founded Yale’s Oral History of American Music, preserving interviews and documents that transformed musi…

Vivian Vance: American actress best known as Ethel Mertz Vivian Vance Vivian Vance (1909–1979), American stage and screen actress and musician, famed for Ethel Mertz on I Love Lucy and Vivian Bagley on The Lucy Show; noted for comic timing and an Emm…

Vivien Leigh — English actress and stage performer (1913–1967) Vivien Leigh Vivien Leigh (born Vivian Mary Hartley; 1913–1967) was an English stage and film actress, acclaimed for Scarlett O'Hara and Blanche DuBois; she won two Academy Awards and worked ex…

Vivienne Tam: Chinese‑American fashion designer blending East and West Vivienne Tam Vivienne Tam (born 1957) is a Chinese‑American fashion designer noted for combining traditional Chinese motifs with modern Western tailoring. Her work bridges cultures and has infl…

Vladimir Andreyevich Uspensky: mathematician, linguist and educator Vladimir Andreyevich Uspensky Overview of Vladimir A. Uspensky (1930–2018), his work at the intersection of mathematical logic and linguistics, his writings, role in Russian language education reform, and his l…

Vladimir Arnold — Russian mathematician and geometric thinker (1937–2010) Vladimir Arnold Profile of Vladimir Arnold, a leading 20th-century mathematician known for foundational work in dynamical systems, symplectic geometry, singularity theory, classical mechanics and…

Vladimir Beara: Yugoslav Goalkeeper and Hajduk Split Champion (1928–2014) Vladimir Beara Vladimir Beara (1928–2014), Yugoslav goalkeeper known for 308 appearances with Hajduk Split and league titles in 1950, 1952 and 1955; later worked as a football manager. Overview o…

Vladimir Bushin — Soviet and Russian writer, critic, and social activist Vladimir Bushin Vladimir Bushin (1924–2019) was a Soviet-Russian essayist, literary critic and columnist known for defending the Soviet legacy and for controversial pro-Stalinist views.

Vladimír Čech: Czech actor, presenter and voice artist Vladimír Čech Vladimír Čech (1951–2013) was a Czech stage and screen actor, television presenter and voice artist, best known in the Czech Republic for his long career in theatre, TV and as the…

Vladimir Curbet — Moldovan choreographer and long-time director of Joc Vladimir Curbet Vladimir Curbet (1930–2017) was a Moldovan choreographer who led the national folk dance ensemble Joc from 1957 until his death. He helped preserve and popularize Moldovan folk dan…

Vladimir Mikhailovich Dolgopolov — Soviet and Russian footballer Vladimir Dolgopolov Vladimir Dolgopolov (1961–2016) was a Russian professional footballer who debuted for FC Zenit Leningrad in the Soviet Top League in 1980 and is remembered for his long association…

Vladimír Holan — Czech poet and major 20th‑century lyricist Vladimír Holan Vladimír Holan (1905–1980), a leading Czech poet known for dense, hermetic verse exploring mortality, language and transcendence. His work reshaped modern Czech lyric and influence…

Vladimir Horowitz Vladimir Horowitz (1903–1989) was a Russian‑American virtuoso pianist celebrated for his technical brilliance, distinctive tone, expressive interpretations and influential recordin…

Vladimir Hotineanu — Moldovan surgeon and former Health Minister Vladimir Hotineanu Vladimir Hotineanu (1950–2019) was a Moldovan surgeon and politician who served as Minister of Health (2009–2011) and as a member of Parliament (2014–2019). He worked on public hea…

Vladimir Kazachyonok: Soviet Footballer and Russian Coach Vladimir Kazachyonok Biography of Vladimir Aleksandrovich Kazachyonok (1952–2017): Soviet international, later coach and long-serving academy director at FC Zenit Saint Petersburg, and his legacy in yo…

Vladimir Kesarev: Soviet footballer and national-team defender (1930–2015) Vladimir Kesarev Overview of Vladimir Petrovich Kesarev, a Soviet-era footballer who earned 14 caps, took part in the 1958 World Cup and was in the 1960 European Championship winning squad.

Vladimir Kramnik: Russian World Chess Champion and Opening Innovator Vladimir Kramnik Vladimir Kramnik (born 1975) is a Russian chess grandmaster who became Classical and later undisputed World Chess Champion; noted for his positional play and revival of the Berlin…

Vladimir Makanin: life and work of a Russian realist writer Vladimir Makanin Overview of Vladimir Semyonovich Makanin (1937–2017), a Russian novelist and short‑story writer known for realist prose, terse psychological narratives, themes of moral choice and…

Vladimir Malaniuk — Ukrainian Chess Grandmaster (1956–2017) Vladimir Malaniuk Ukrainian chess grandmaster noted for his rapid and blitz skill, memorable personality, and international tournament successes, including second place at the 2005 Tallinn Keres Mem…

Vladimir Nabokov: life, works, and literary legacy Vladimir Nabokov Biography and overview of Vladimir Nabokov, the bilingual Russian‑American novelist, translator, lepidopterist and critic best known for Lolita and his innovative narrative techniq…

Vladimir Orlov (Russian novelist) Vladimir Orlov Vladimir Viktorovich Orlov (1936–2014) was a Russian novelist best known for the fantasy-tinged novel Danilov, the Violist; he taught at the Maxim Gorky Literature Institute and bl…

Vladimir Petrov (ice hockey) Soviet ice hockey centre, two-time Olympic champion (1972, 1976) and 1980 silver medallist. Key figure of the USSR national team in the 1970s; born Krasnogorsk 1947, died Moscow 20…

Vladimír Plaček Czech physician and Social Democratic politician who served as a senator from 2012 until his death in 2018; known for combining medical experience with public service.

Vladimir Popovkin — Russian space and military leader Vladimir Popovkin Biography of Vladimir A. Popovkin (1957–2014), a Russian army general who led the Russian Federal Space Agency and commanded the Russian Space Forces; overview of career, roles, an…

Vladimir Mikhailovich Shuralyov — Soviet and Russian Army General Vladimir Shuralyov Vladimir Mikhailovich Shuralyov (1935–2020) was a Soviet and Russian army general who served as the Warsaw Pact representative to the East German NVA, Deputy Minister of Defence, a…

Vladimir Tsyplakov — Belarusian ice hockey forward (1969–2019) Vladimir Tsyplakov Belarusian professional ice hockey forward Vladimir Tsyplakov (1969–2019) played in European leagues and the NHL, represented Belarus at World Championships and the Olympics, and l…

Vladimir Veličković: Serbian-born painter known for expressive figurative work Vladimir Veličković Overview of Vladimir Veličković (1935–2019), his artistic style, major honors, exhibition history and legacy as an influential European figurative painter.

Vladimir Voevodsky Vladimir Voevodsky (1966–2017) was a Russian–American mathematician who created motivic cohomology, proved the Milnor conjecture, advanced the Bloch–Kato conjecture, and promoted u…

Vladimir Voinovich (1932–2018) Vladimir Voinovich Russian satirical novelist, playwright and journalist. Best known for The Life and Extraordinary Adventures of Private Ivan Chonkin and Moscow 2042; critic of Soviet bureaucracy an…

Vladimir Vysotsky: Soviet singer‑poet, actor, and cultural icon Vladimir Vysotsky Vladimir Vysotsky (1938–1980) was a Soviet Russian singer‑songwriter, poet, and actor whose raw voice, guitar songs and theatrical roles left a lasting imprint on Russian culture.

Vladimir Yankilevsky: Russian Nonconformist Artist and Triptych Innovator Vladimir Yankilevsky Overview of Vladimir Yankilevsky (1938–2018), Soviet-era nonconformist artist known for nightmarish triptychs, his role in the 1960s dissenting art scene, themes, techniques, and l…

Vladimír Zábrodský — Czechoslovak ice hockey centre and world champion Vladimír Zábrodský Czechoslovak ice hockey centre, two-time world champion (1947, 1949), 1948 Olympic silver medallist and IIHF Hall of Famer with a long domestic career for LTC Praha and other Pragu…

Vladislav F. Ribnikar — founder of Politika, Serbia's oldest daily Vladislav F. Ribnikar Serbian journalist and publisher who established Politika in 1904 and led it until his death during the First World War in 1914; an important figure in the emergence of modern Serb…

Vlasta Chramostová: Czech Film and Stage Actress (1926–2019) Vlasta Chramostová Vlasta Chramostová was a Czech film and theatre actress whose career spanned seven decades. She appeared in 35 films from 1950–2019 and featured in landmark Czechoslovak works incl…

Vlastimil Bubník Czech dual-sport athlete Vlastimil Bubník (1931–2015) excelled in ice hockey and football; Olympic bronze medalist in 1964 and inductee of the IIHF Hall of Fame in 1997.

Võ Nguyên Giáp: Vietnamese general, strategist and statesman Võ Nguyên Giáp Võ Nguyên Giáp (1911–2013) was a Vietnamese general and political leader who commanded the Viet Minh and the People's Army of Vietnam in the struggles for independence and unificat…

Vojtěch Jasný — Czech film director and chronicler of moral imagination Vojtěch Jasný Vojtěch Jasný (1925–2019) was a Czech film director noted for lyrical, socially aware films. He won the Cannes Special Jury Prize in 1963 for The Cassandra Cat and worked internati…