This is a list of notable

Russian Americans Russian Americans ( rus, русские американцы, r=russkiye amerikantsy, p= ˈruskʲɪje ɐmʲɪrʲɪˈkant͡sɨ) are Americans of full or partial Russian ancestry. The term can apply to recent Russian immigrants to the United Stat ...

, including both original immigrants who obtained American citizenship and their American descendants. ''To be included in this list, the person must have a Wikipedia article showing they are Russian American or must have references showing they are Russian American and are notable.''

Arts

Performance

Paul Abrahamian Paul Raffi Abrahamian is an American reality television personality and clothing designer, born in Tarzana, California. Abrahamian is best known for their appearances in the United States reality television show '' Big Brother'' and related spin ...

(born 1993), reality television personality, of Russian and Armenian descent *

Dianna Agron Dianna Elise Agron ( ; born April 30, 1986) is an American actress and singer. After primarily dancing and starring in small musical theater productions in her youth, Agron made her screen debut in 2006, and in 2007, she played recurring charac ...

(born 1986), actress, father is of Russian Jewish ancestry. * Monique Alexander (born 1982), pornographic actress, actress and model *

Woody Allen Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...

(born 1935), actor, writer, director, and musician, his mother was of Russian Jewish ancestry *

Pamela Anderson Pamela Denise Anderson (born July 1, 1967) is a Canadian-American actress and model. She is best known for her glamour modeling work in ''Playboy'' magazine and for her appearances on the television series ''Baywatch'' (1992–1997). Anders ...

(born 1967), Canadian-American actress, sex symbol, activist known for her roles on the television series ''

Baywatch ''Baywatch'' is an American action drama television series about lifeguards who patrol the beaches of Los Angeles County, California, and Hawaii, starring David Hasselhoff. It was created by Michael Berk, Douglas Schwartz, and Gregory J. Bo ...

'', mother is of Russian ancestry *

Alan Arkin Alan Wolf Arkin (born March 26, 1934) is an American actor, director and screenwriter known for his performances on stage and screen. Throughout his career spanning over six decades, he has received various accolades, including an Academy Award ...

(1934–2023), actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, grandchild of Russian immigrants *

René Auberjonois René Murat Auberjonois (; June 1, 1940 – December 8, 2019) was an American actor and director. He was best known for portraying Odo on ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' (1993–1999). He first achieved fame as a stage actor, winning the Tony A ...

(1940–2019), Tony Award-winning character actor (and grandson of the painter), best known for his early 1980s role as Clayton Endicott III on the television show ''Benson'' and his role as Odo on ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' *

Olga Baclanova Olga Vladimirovna Baklanova (russian: О́льга Влади́мировна Бакла́нова; 19 August 1893 – 6 September 1974), known professionally as Olga Baclanova, was a Russian-born actress who found success in Hollywood film and ...

(1893–1974), actress. * Anna Baryshnikov (born 1992), actress, daughter of Mikhail Baryshnikov * Shura Baryshnikov (born 1981), dancer, choreographer, actress *

Emma Berman Emma J. Berman (born August 1, 2008) is an American actress known for voicing Giulia Marcovaldo in Pixar's ''Luca'' and Winifred Wings in Go! Go! Cory Carson! Early life Berman was born in San Francisco, California to Russian immigrant. She has ...

(born 2008), American actress, of Russian descent * Jon Bon Jovi (born 1962), singer-songwriter, mother of partial Russian descent *

Alexey Brodovitch Alexey Vyacheslavovich Brodovitch (also Brodovich; be, Аляксей Брадовіч, russian: Алексе́й Вячесла́вович Бродо́вич; 1898 – April 15, 1971) was a Russian-born American photographer, designer ...

(1898–1971), the pioneer of graphic design, created a prototype of the modern glossy magazine about fashion *

Eric Balfour Eric Salter Balfour (born April 24, 1977) is an American actor and singer. He is the lead singer of Born as Ghosts, formerly known as Fredalba. He made his film debut in the drama ''Shattered Image'' (1998), followed by roles in ''What Women Want' ...

(born 1977), actor, portraying Milo Pressman in ''24'', is of Russian Jewish descent * Sasha Barrese (born 1981), actress of Irish, Dutch, American Indian, and Russian descent * Mikhail Baryshnikov (born 1948), dancer and actor, immigrant from Russia * Michael Bay (born 1965), American film director and producer (Bay's grandfather was Russian) *

Irving Berlin Irving Berlin (born Israel Beilin; yi, ישראל ביילין; May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989) was a Russian-American composer, songwriter and lyricist. His music forms a large part of the Great American Songbook. Born in Imperial Russ ...

(1888–1989), Russian-born, considered one of the greatest songwriters in American history, nominated eight times for

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

* Jack Black (born 1969), actor, comedian, musician, his mother is of Russian Jewish descent *

Michael Bolton Michael Bolotin
, The Jewish Historical Society of New Haven, 1998. (born February 26, 1953), known professio ...

(born 1953), singer, all of his grandparents were Jewish immigrants from Russia *

Agnes Bruckner Agnes Bruckner is an American actress and former model. She began acting in television in the late 1990s and has since appeared in several films, including '' The Woods'', '' Blue Car'', '' Murder by Numbers'', '' Blood and Chocolate'', ''The An ...

(born 1985), actress, mother has Russian background *

Yul Brynner Yuliy Borisovich Briner (russian: link=no, Юлий Борисович Бринер; July 11, 1920 – October 10, 1985), known professionally as Yul Brynner, was a Russian-born actor. He was best known for his portrayal of King Mongkut in th ...

(1920–1985), Russian-born American actor, won

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

Cheryl Burke Cheryl Burke (born May 3, 1984) is an American dancer, model, and television host. She is best known for being a professional dancer on ABC's ''Dancing with the Stars''. She was the first female professional to win the show and the first prof ...

(born 1984), professional dancer is well known for starring on the television series '' Dancing with the Stars'', father is Russian and Irish descent * Semyon Bychkov (born 1952), conductor *

Amanda Bynes Amanda Laura Bynes (born April 3, 1986) is an American actress, known for her work in television and film throughout the 1990s and 2000s. Bynes began her career as a child actress, working on the Nickelodeon sketch comedy series ''All That'' ( ...

(born 1986), actress, mother of Russian Jewish descent *

Dove Cameron Dove Olivia Cameron (born Chloe Celeste Hosterman; January 15, 1996) is an American singer and actress. She became famous for her double role of the eponymous characters in the Disney Channel comedy series ''Liv and Maddie'', for which she won ...

(born 1996), actress of Russian descent * Eddie Cantor (1892–1964), actor and dancer, parents were Jewish immigrants from Russia *

Timothée Chalamet Timothée Hal Chalamet (; ; born December 27, 1995) is an American actor. He has received various accolades, including nominations for an Academy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and three BAFTA Film Awards. Chalamet began his career as a t ...

(born 1995), actor, mother is of Russian Jewish descent *

Michael Chekhov Mikhail Aleksandrovich Chekhov (russian: Михаил Александрович Чехов; 29 August 1891 – 30 September 1955), known as Michael Chekhov, was an American actor, director, author and theatre practitioner. He was a nephew ...

(1891–1955), actor and dancer, immigrant from Russia. *

Jennifer Connelly Jennifer Lynn Connelly (born December 12, 1970) is an American actress. She began her career as a child model before making her acting debut in the 1984 crime film ''Once Upon a Time in America''. After having worked as a model for several year ...

(born 1970), actress, mother is of Russian Jewish and Polish Jewish descent *

Lydia Cornell Lydia Cornell (born Lydia Korniloff, July 23, 1953) is an American actress best known for her role as Sara Rush on the ABC situation comedy ''Too Close for Comfort''. Early life and family Cornell was born Lydia Korniloff in El Paso, Texas ...

(born Lydia Korniloff, 1953), actress, father is of Russian descent *

David Copperfield ''David Copperfield'' Dickens invented over 14 variations of the title for this work, see is a novel in the bildungsroman genre by Charles Dickens, narrated by the eponymous David Copperfield, detailing his adventures in his journey from inf ...

(born 1956), illusionist and stage magician, paternal grandparents were Jewish immigrants from Russia *

Eric Dane Eric William Dane (born November 9, 1972) is an American actor. After multiple television roles in the 1990s and 2000s, which included his recurring role as Jason Dean in ''Charmed'', Dane was cast as Dr. Mark Sloan on the ABC medical drama te ...

(born 1972), actor, of partial Russian-Jewish descent * Gavin DeGraw (born 1977), musician, mother is of Russian Jewish descent. *

Alexis Denisof Alexis Denisof (born February 25, 1966) is an American actor. He is primarily known for playing Wesley Wyndam-Pryce in the television series ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' and its spin-off ''Angel''. He also had a recurring role on ''How I Met Your ...

(born 1966), actor, father is of mostly Russian ancestry *

Kat Dennings Katherine Victoria Litwack (born June 13, 1986), known professionally as Kat Dennings, is an American actress. She is known for her starring roles as Max Black in the CBS sitcom ''2 Broke Girls'' (2011–2017) and as Darcy Lewis in the Marvel ...

(born 1986), American actress. Grandparents were Russian Jewish immigrants. * Leonardo DiCaprio (born 1974), actor,

winner, maternal grandmother was Russian * Jim Downey (born 1952), comedy writer *

Michael Dudikoff Michael Joseph Stephen Dudikoff Jr. (born October 8, 1954) is an American actor and martial artist. Born in New York City, his family later moved to Los Angeles. Dudikoff did different jobs to pay for his education, during this time he became a mo ...

(born 1954), actor, father was an immigrant from Russia *

Aaron Eckhart Aaron Edward Eckhart (born March 12, 1968) is an American actor. Born in Cupertino, California, Eckhart moved to the United Kingdom at an early age. He began his acting career by performing in school plays, before moving to Australia for his h ...

(born 1968), actor, father is of German and Russian descent * Ansel Elgort (born 1994), actor, his father is of Russian-Jewish descent. *

Val Emmich Val Matthew Emmich ( ; born 1979) is an American writer, singer-songwriter, author, and actor. He has had roles on HBO's ''Vinyl'', NBC's ''30 Rock'', Showtime's '' The Big C'', and ABC's ''Ugly Betty''. He is the author of ''The New York Tim ...

(born 1979), singer-songwriter and actor of Italian, Russian, and German ancestry. * Peter Falk (1927–2011), born to a Polish Jewish father and a Russian Jewish mother. *

Tina Fey Elizabeth Stamatina "Tina" Fey (; born May 18, 1970) is an American actress, comedian, writer, producer, and playwright. She is best known for her work on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' (1997–2006) and for creating the ...

(born 1970), American actress and comedian, father is of part-Russian descent. *

Carrie Fisher Carrie Frances Fisher (October 21, 1956 – December 27, 2016) was an American actress and writer. She played Princess Leia in the ''Star Wars'' films (1977–1983). She reprised the role in'' Star Wars: The Force Awakens'' (2015), ''The Last ...

(1956–2016), actress, father was of Russian Jewish descent. *

Michel Fokine Michael Fokine, ''Mikhail Mikhaylovich Fokin'', group=lower-alpha ( – 22 August 1942) was a groundbreaking Imperial Russian choreographer and dancer. Career Early years Fokine was born in Saint Petersburg to a prosperous merchant an ...

(1880–1942), dancer and choreographer. *

Olga Fonda Olga Tchakova (russian: Ольга Чакова; known professionally as Olga Fonda) is a Russian- American film and television actress and model. She is also known for her role as Nadia Petrova in ''The Vampire Diaries'' (2013–2014). Early li ...

(born 1982), actress and model. * Harrison Ford (born 1942), actor, mother was of Russian Jewish descent. *

Dave Franco David John Franco (born June 12, 1985) is an American actor. He began his career with small roles in films such as ''Superbad'' (2007) and '' Charlie St. Cloud'' (2010). Following a starring role in the ninth season of the comedy series '' Scru ...

(born 1985), actor, mother of Russian Jewish descent. *

James Franco James Edward Franco (born April 19, 1978) is an American actor and filmmaker. For his role in '' 127 Hours'' (2010), he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor. Franco is known for his roles in films, such as Sam Raimi's ''Spider-M ...

(born 1978), actor, mother of Russian Jewish descent. *

Isabelle Fuhrman Isabelle Fuhrman (born February 25, 1997) is an American actress. She is known for her role as Esther in the horror film ''Orphan'' (2009) and its prequel '' Orphan: First Kill'' (2022). She also portrayed Clove in the dystopian adventure film ' ...

(born 1997), actress (Mother, Elena Fuhrman, is a Russian-Jewish immigrant, father is of Russian Jewish descent). *

Drew Fuller Andrew Alan "Drew" Fuller (born May 19, 1980) is an American actor and former model. He is best known for his portrayal of Chris Halliwell in the television series ''Charmed'' and for playing soldier Trevor LeBlanc on Lifetime's ''Army Wives' ...

(born 1980), actor of Russian, Scottish and English heritage. *

Edward Furlong Edward Walter Furlong (born August 2, 1977) is an American actor. He won Saturn and MTV Movie Awards for his breakthrough performance at age 13 as John Connor in James Cameron's '' Terminator 2: Judgment Day''; which was followed by a mini-seque ...

(born 1977), actor, the star of such film as '' Terminator 2: Judgment Day'' and ''

American History X ''American History X'' is a 1998 American crime drama film directed by Tony Kaye and written by David McKenna. The film stars Edward Norton and Edward Furlong as two brothers from Los Angeles who are involved in the white power skinhead and n ...

'', his father is of Russian origin. * Galen Gering (born 1971), actor of Russian Jewish (father) and Basque Spanish (mother) descent. *

George Gershwin George Gershwin (; born Jacob Gershwine; September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937) was an American composer and pianist whose compositions spanned popular, jazz and classical genres. Among his best-known works are the orchestral compositions ' ...

(1898–1937), composer and pianist, author of ''

Rhapsody in Blue ''Rhapsody in Blue'' is a 1924 musical composition written by George Gershwin for solo piano and jazz band, which combines elements of classical music with jazz-influenced effects. Commissioned by bandleader Paul Whiteman, the work premiered i ...

'', Russian Jewish and Ukrainian Jewish ancestry. *

Alexander Godunov Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...

(1949–1995), dancer and choreographer. *

Katerina Graham Katerina Alexandre Hartford Graham (born September 5, 1989) is an American actress, singer and dancer (now distributing music under the stage name Toro Gato). She is widely known for her role as Bonnie Bennett on The CW supernatural drama seri ...

(born 1989), actress, singer, record producer, dancer, and model, mother of Russian Jewish ancestry. * Seth Green (born 1974), actor, part Russian Jewish ancestry. *

Jake Gyllenhaal Jacob Benjamin Gyllenhaal (; ; born December 19, 1980) is an American actor. Born into the Gyllenhaal family, he is the son of director Stephen Gyllenhaal and screenwriter Naomi Foner, and his older sister is actress Maggie Gyllenhaal. He ...

(born 1980), his mother Naomi Foner Gyllenhaal is of Russian Jewish descent. * Maggie Gyllenhaal (born 1977), her mother

Naomi Foner Gyllenhaal Naomi Foner ( Achs; born March 4, 1946) is an American screenwriter and director. She is the mother of actor and actress Maggie and Jake Gyllenhaal. Early life and education Foner was born in Brooklyn, New York City, the daughter of doctors Rut ...

is of Russian Jewish descent.UK Entertainment News - British Film, TV and Music , HuffPost UK
/ref> *

Armie Hammer Armand Douglas Hammer (born August 28, 1986) is an American actor. Hammer began his acting career with guest appearances in several television series. His first leading role was as Billy Graham in the 2008 film '' Billy: The Early Years'', and ...

(born 1986), actor, father of part Russian Jewish/Russian descent. * Juliana Harkavy (born 1985), actress, has Russian ancestors. *

Ben Harper Benjamin Chase Harper (born October 28, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Harper plays an eclectic mix of blues, folk, soul, reggae, and rock music and is known for his guitar-playing skills, vocals, live perfo ...

(born 1969), singer-songwriter, Jewish mother of Russian and Lithuanian ancestry. *

Barbara Hershey Barbara Lynn Herzstein, better known as Barbara Hershey (born February 5, 1948), is an American actress. In a career spanning more than 50 years, she has played a variety of roles on television and in cinema in several genres, including weste ...

(born 1948), actress, father of partial Russian Jewish descent. * Fedor Jeftichew (1868–1904), freak show attraction nicknamed "Jojo the dog-faced man" and a star of the Barnum Circus. * Kidada Jones (born 1974), actress, model, and fashion designer, daughter of actress

Peggy Lipton Margaret Ann Lipton (August 30, 1946 – May 11, 2019) was an American actress, model, and singer. She made appearances in many of the most popular television shows of the 1960s before she landed her defining role as flower child Julie Barnes i ...

and musician

Quincy Jones Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (born March 14, 1933) is an American record producer, musician, songwriter, composer, arranger, and film and television producer. His career spans 70 years in the entertainment industry with a record of 80 Grammy Award n ...

; her mother is of Russian Jewish descent. *

Rashida Jones Rashida Leah Jones (; born February 25, 1976) is an American actress. Jones appeared as Louisa Fenn on the Fox drama series '' Boston Public'' (2000–2002), as Karen Filippelli on the NBC comedy series ''The Office'' (2006–2009; 2011), and ...

(born 1976), actress, model, and musician, daughter of actress

, mother is of Russian Jewish descent. * Milla Jovovich (born 1975), actress and model, born in

Kyiv Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the seventh-most populous city in Europe. Kyi ...

to a Russian mother and a Serbian father. * Stacy Kamano (born 1974), actress of German, Russian, Polish and Japanese descent. *

Lila Kedrova Yelizaveta Nikolaevna Kedrova (Russian: Елизавета Николаевна Кедрова; 9 October 1909 – 16 February 2000), known as Lila Kedrova, was a Russian-born French actress. She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actre ...

(1909–2000), Russian-born French-American actress, won

for Best Supporting Actress. *

Olga Kern Olga Vladimirovna Kern (russian: Ольга Владимировна Керн; born Olga Pushechnikova, 23 April 1975) is a Russian American, Russian-American classical pianist. She became an American citizen in 2016. Early life Olga Kern was bor ...

(born 1975), Russian-born classical pianist, won the 11th

Van Cliburn International Piano Competition The Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (The Cliburn) is an American piano competition by The Cliburn, first held in 1962 in Fort Worth, Texas and hosted by the Van Cliburn Foundation. Initially held at Texas Christian University, the c ...

, direct family ties to both

Rachmaninov Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff; in Russian pre-revolutionary script. (28 March 1943) was a Russian composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor. Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a composer, one of ...

and

Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky , group=n ( ; 7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Russian composer of the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music would make a lasting impression internationally. He wrote some of the most popu ...

. *

Justin Kirk Justin Kirk (born May 28, 1969) is an American actor. He is best known for portraying Prior Walter in Mike Nichols's screen adaptation of ''Angels in America'', for which he was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting A ...

(born 1969), stage and film actor, mother is of Russian Jewish descent. *

Charles Klapow Charles "Chucky" Klapow (born July 5, 1980) is an American choreographer and dance instructor who has performed and choreographed for various performers and several television and stage productions. He is also known for his teachings on the men ...

(born 1980), American choreographer and dance instructor, Emmy Award winner, father of Russian origin * Christopher Knight (born 1957), actor *

Walter Koenig Walter Marvin Koenig (; born September 14, 1936) is an American actor and screenwriter. He began acting professionally in the mid 1960s and quickly rose to prominence for his supporting role as Ensign Pavel Chekov in ''Star Trek: The Original S ...

(born 1936) parents were Russian Jewish immigrants *

Theodore Kosloff Theodore Kosloff (born Fyodor Mikhailovich Kozlov, russian: Фёдор Михайлович Козлов; January 22, 1882 – November 22, 1956) was a Russian-born ballet dancer, choreographer, and film and stage actor. He was occasionally c ...

(1882–1956), dancer and choreographer. * Lenny Kravitz (born 1964), American singer, father of Russian Jewish descent. *

Zoë Kravitz Zoë Isabella Kravitz (born December 1, 1988) is an American actress, singer, and model. She made her acting debut in the romantic comedy film '' No Reservations'' (2007). Her breakthrough came with portraying Angel Salvadore in the superhero fi ...

(born 1988), American actress, singer and model daughter of Lenny Kravitz, both parents of half Russian Jewish descent *

Mila Kunis Milena Markovna "Mila" Kunis (born August 14, 1983) is an American actress. Born in Chernivtsi and raised in Los Angeles, she began playing Jackie Burkhart on the Fox television series ''That '70s Show'' (1998–2006) at the age of 14. Since ...

(born 1983), Russian Jewish immigrant (born in Ukrainian SSR). *

Joe Lando Joseph John Lando (born December 9, 1961) is an American actor, known for playing Jake Harrison on daytime's ''One Life to Live'' (1990–1992) and Byron Sully on the television series ''Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman'' (1993–1998). Life and c ...

(born 1961), film actor * Feodor Lark (born 1997), Russian-born television actor *

Logan Lerman Logan Wade Lerman (born January 19, 1992) is an American actor. He is known for playing the titular role in the fantasy-adventure ''Percy Jackson'' films. He appeared in commercials in the mid-1990s, before starring in the series ''Jack & Bobb ...

(born 1992), of Russian Jewish, Polish Jewish, and Lithuanian Jewish descent *

Margarita Levieva Margarita Vladimirovna Levieva (russian: Маргари́та Влади́мировна Леви́ева; born 9 February 1980) is a Russian-American actress. Early life Levieva was born in then Leningrad, Soviet Union (now Saint Petersburg, ...

(born 1980), Russian-born Jewish American actress. Born in the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

, she was a professional gymnast before going on to star in the films '' The Invisible'', '' Adventureland'' and ''

Spread Spread may refer to: Places * Spread, West Virginia Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Spread'' (film), a 2009 film. * ''$pread'', a quarterly magazine by and for sex workers * "Spread", a song by OutKast from their 2003 album ''Speakerboxxx/T ...

'' *

(1946–2019), actress, of Russian Jewish ancestry * Karina Lombard (born 1969), actress and singer of Lakota Sioux, Russian, Italian and Swiss descent *

Annet Mahendru Anita Devi "Annet" Mahendru (born November 5, 1985) is an American actress. She is known for playing Nina Krilova, Nina Sergeevna Krilova on the FX (TV channel), FX period drama series ''The Americans'' (2013–2016), for which she garnered a n ...

(born 1985), actress, mother is of Russian descent * James Maslow (born 1990), actor and singer of Scots Irish, English, and Russian Jewish descent *

Marlee Matlin Marlee Beth Matlin (born August 24, 1965) is an American actress, author, and activist. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, in addition to nominations for a ...

(born 1965), actress who starred in '' Children of a Lesser God'', of Russian Jewish descent * Walter Matthau (1920–2000), actor and comedian, parents were Jewish immigrants from Russia * Blake Michael (born 1996), actor of Russian Jewish descent *

Wentworth Miller Wentworth Earl Miller III (born June 2, 1972) is an American-British actor and screenwriter. He rose to prominence following his starring role as Michael Scofield in the Fox series ''Prison Break'', for which he received a nomination for the ...

(born 1972), actor, mother of partial Russian descent *

Eugene Mirman Eugene Boris MirmanJackson, Todd (2009). Eugene Mirman. Retrieved on May 13, 2009 from . (born July 24, 1974) is a Russian-American actor, comedian, and writer, known for playing Yvgeny Mirminsky on ''Delocated'' and Gene Belcher on the animated ...

(born 1974), actor, born in Russia *

Taylor Momsen Taylor Michel Momsen (born July 26, 1993) is an American musician, singer, model, and former actress. Prior to her retirement from acting, she portrayed the character of Cindy Lou Who in the film '' How the Grinch Stole Christmas'' (2000) and Je ...

(born 1993), actress, musician and model, she fronts the rock band ''

The Pretty Reckless The Pretty Reckless is an American rock band from New York City, formed in 2009. The band consists of Taylor Momsen (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Ben Phillips (lead guitar, backing vocals), Mark Damon (bass), and Jamie Perkins (drums). The ban ...

'' *

Mandy Moore Amanda Leigh Moore (born April 10, 1984) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She rose to fame with her debut single, "Candy (Mandy Moore song), Candy", which peaked at number 41 on the Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Her de ...

(born 1984), actress, singer, of Russian Jewish descent (from her maternal grandfather) *

Vic Morrow Victor Morrow (born Victor Morozoff; February 14, 1929 – July 23, 1982) was an American actor. He came to prominence as one of the leads of the ABC drama series '' Combat!'' (1962–1967), which earned him an Emmy nomination for Outstand ...

(1929–1982), actor, parents were Russian Jewish immigrants *

Sarah Natochenny Sarah Natochenny (born September 20, 1987) is an American voice actress and film editor. She is best known for voicing Ash Ketchum and various other characters in the English dub of ''Pokémon'' since 2006, as well as Alicia in the 2006 video game ...

(born 1987), voice actress *

Alla Nazimova Alla Nazimova (Russian: Алла Назимова; born Marem-Ides Leventon, Russian: Марем-Идес Левентон; June 3 Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates">O.S._May_22.html" ;"title="Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="nowiki/>O ...

(1879–1945), theater and film actress, Jewish immigrant from Russia *

Nancy Novotny Nancy Novotny is an American radio personality and voice actress working with ADV Films and Seraphim Digital, known for her roles in English-language dubbed anime, such as Yomi in Azumanga Daioh, Yuka in Elfen Lied and Madlax in Madlax. She c ...

(born 1963), voice actress, radio personality *

Pat O'Brien Pat O'Brien may refer to: Politicians * Pat O'Brien (Canadian politician) (born 1948), member of the Canadian House of Commons *Pat O'Brien (Irish politician) (c. 1847–1917), Irish Nationalist MP in the United Kingdom Parliament Others *Pat O'Br ...

(born 1965), guitarist, half Russian *

Larisa Oleynik Larisa Romanovna Oleynik (; born June 7, 1981) is an American actress who became a teen idol in the 1990s. Born in Santa Clara and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, Oleynik began her career as a child actor, first appearing ...

(born 1981), actress (''

Mad Men ''Mad Men'' is an American period drama television series created by Matthew Weiner and produced by Lionsgate Television. It ran on the cable network AMC from July 19, 2007, to May 17, 2015, lasting for seven seasons and 92 episodes. Its f ...

'', '' 3rd Rock from the Sun''), father of Russian descent *

Mandy Patinkin Mandel Bruce Patinkin (; born November 30, 1952) is an American actor and singer, known for his work in musical theatre, television and film. He is a critically acclaimed Broadway performer, having received three Tony Award nominations, winning ...

(born 1952), actor and singer, of Russian Jewish descent *

Sean Penn Sean Justin Penn (born August 17, 1960) is an American actor and film director. He has won two Academy Awards, for his roles in the mystery drama ''Mystic River'' (2003) and the biopic ''Milk'' (2008). Penn began his acting career in televisi ...

(born 1960), two-time

winning actor, paternal grandparents Jewish immigrants from Russia and Lithuania * Michael Perretta (born 1976), American hip hop musician, better known as Evidence, Russian mother *

Lee Philips Lee Philips (born Leon Friedman; January 10, 1927 – March 3, 1999) was an American actor, film director and television director. Life and career Philips was born in New York. His acting career started on Broadway, and peaked with a starring ...

(1927–1999) (Born Leon Friedman), parents were Russian Jewish immigrants *

Joaquin Phoenix Joaquin Rafael Phoenix (; né Bottom; born October 28, 1974) is an American actor. He is known for playing dark and unconventional characters in independent films. He has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academ ...

(born 1974), actor, Jewish mother of Russian and Hungarian ancestry *

River Phoenix River Jude Phoenix (; August 23, 1970 – October 31, 1993) was an American actor, musician and activist. Phoenix grew up in an itinerant family, as the older brother of Rain Phoenix, Joaquin Phoenix, Liberty Phoenix, and Summer Phoenix. He ...

(1970–1993), actor, Jewish mother of Russian and Hungarian ancestry * Bronson Pinchot (born 1959), actor, best known for '' Perfect Strangers'' whose father, born Henry Poncharavsky, is of Russian ancestry * Alexander Polinsky (born 1974), actor *

Natalie Portman Natalie Portman (born Natalie Hershlag, he, נטע-לי הרשלג, ) is an Israeli-born American actress. She has had a prolific film career since her teenage years and has starred in various blockbusters and independent films, receiving mu ...

(born 1981), actress, of Russian Jewish, Polish Jewish, Romanian Jewish, and Austrian Jewish ancestry *

Mike Portnoy Michael Stephen Portnoy (born April 20, 1967) is an American musician who is primarily known as the former drummer, backing vocalist, and co-founder of the progressive metal band Dream Theater. In September 2010, Portnoy announced his departure ...

(born 1967), musician, founding member of American heavy metal band Dream Theater *

Princess Superstar Concetta Kirschner (born February 25, 1971), better known as Princess Superstar, is an American rapper and DJ. She has had two chart hits in the UK, "Bad Babysitter", which reached number 11 on the UK Singles Chart in 2002, and "Perfect (Exceed ...

(born 1971), musician, father is of Russian Jewish descent * Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873–1943), Russian-born composer who immigrated to the US in 1918 and lived there until his death in 1943. He acquired U.S. citizenship in 1943. * Sam Raimi (born 1959), Jewish American film, producer, actor and writer, whose parents came from Russia and Hungary *

Ted Raimi Theodore "Ted" Raimi (born December 14, 1965) is an American character actor, director, comedian, and writer. He is known for his roles in the works of his brother Sam Raimi, including a fake Shemp in ''The Evil Dead'', possessed Henrietta in ...

(born 1965), actor and brother of Sam Raimi, star of '' Xena: Warrior Princess'' * Raven (born 1979), drag queen and reality-television star *

Sasha Velour Alexander "Sasha" Hedges Steinberg (born June 25, 1987), known professionally as Sasha Velour, is an American drag queen, artist, actor, and stage and television producer, based in Brooklyn, New York. Velour is known for winning the ninth seaso ...

(born 1987), drag queen and winner of ''

RuPaul's Drag Race ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' is an American reality competition television series, the first in the ''Drag Race'' franchise, produced by World of Wonder for Logo TV (season 1–8), WOW Presents Plus, VH1 (season 9–14) and, beginning with the f ...

'' Season 9 *

Joan Rivers Joan Alexandra Molinsky (June 8, 1933 – September 4, 2014), known professionally as Joan Rivers, was an American comedian, actress, producer, writer and television host. She was noted for her blunt, often controversial comedic persona—heavi ...

(1933–2014), comedian, parents were Russian Jewish immigrants *

Sasha Roiz Sasha Roiz ( he, סשה רויז; born October 21, 1973) is an Israeli-born Canadian actor. He is best known for his portrayals of Sam Adama in the science-fiction TV series ''Caprica'' and Captain Sean Renard in the American fantasy TV series ' ...

(born 1973), Russian Jewish immigrant (born in

Tel Aviv, Israel Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the G ...

) *

Paul Rudd Paul Stephen Rudd (born April 6, 1969) is an American actor. He studied theater at the University of Kansas and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, before making his acting debut in 1991. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame i ...

(born 1969), American actor of Russian Jewish ancestry *

Natalya Rudakova ''Transporter 3'' (French: ''Le Transporteur 3'') is a 2008 English-language French action-thriller film. It is the third and final installment in the original trilogy of the '' Transporter'' franchise. Both Jason Statham and François Berléand re ...

(born 1985), actress *

Olesya Rulin Olesya Yurivna Rulina (russian: Oлeся Юрьевна Pулина; born March 17, 1986) is a Russian-American actress. She is best known for co-starring in all three films of the ''High School Musical'' franchise as Kelsi Nielsen. She also star ...

(born 1986), actress and singer, immigrant from Russia * Melanie Safka-Schekeryk (born 1947), folk singer, father is of Russian and Ukrainian ancestry *

Steven Seagal Steven Frederic Seagal (; born April 10, 1952) is an American actor, screenwriter and martial artist. A 7th-dan black belt in aikido, he began his adult life as a martial arts instructor in Japan and eventually ended up running his father-in-l ...

(born 1952), actor, father was of Russian Jewish descent *

Jack Shaindlin Jack Shaindlin (April 14, 1909 – September 22, 1978) was a Russian-American musician, composer, arranger, conductor, and music director. He was musical director for ''The March of Time'' newsreel series. Early life and career Shaindlin was b ...

(1909–1978), composer, musical director of the ''

March of Time ''The March of Time'' is an American newsreel series sponsored by Time Inc. and shown in movie theaters from 1935 to 1951. It was based on a radio news series broadcast from 1931 to 1945. The "voice" of both series was Westbrook Van Voorhis. P ...

'' newsreel series *

Peter Shukoff Peter Alexis Shukoff (born August 15, 1979), best known as his stage name Nice Peter or Bluesocks, is an American musician and Internet personality. A self-described "Comic/Guitar Hero", he is best known for the comedy on his YouTube channel, Ni ...

(born 1979), YouTuber, co-founded ERB, of Russian descent *

Jenny Slate Jenny Sarah Slate (born March 25, 1982) is an American actress, comedian, and author. Born and raised in Milton, Massachusetts, Slate was educated at Milton Academy and studied literature at Columbia University, where she became involved in the ...

(born 1982), actress, comedian and author, of Russian Jewish origin *

Regina Spektor Regina Ilyinichna Spektor (russian: Регинa Ильинична Спектор, ; born February 18, 1980) is a Russian–born American singer, songwriter, and pianist. After self-releasing her first three records and gaining popularity in ...

(born 1980), Russian born American singer-songwriter and pianist, born in

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 millio ...

Leonard Stone Leonard Stone (born Leonard Steinbock; November 3, 1923 – November 2, 2011) was an American character actor who played supporting roles in over 120 television shows and 35 films. Early years Stone was born in Salem, Oregon. The son of Mr. and ...

(1927–2011), father Russian Jewish immigrant from Russia * Igor Stravinsky (1882–1971), composer and pianist *

Michael Strong Michael Strong (born Cecil Natapoff; February 8, 1918 – September 17, 1980)California Death Index and Social Security Death Index, accessed on Ancestry.com was an American stage, film and television actor. Early life Michael Strong was bor ...

(1918–1980) (born Cecil Natapoff) parents were Russian Jewish immigrants *

Tara Strong Tara Lyn Strong (née Charendoff; born February 12, 1973) is a Canadian-American actress. She is known for her voice work in animation, websites, and video games. Strong's voice roles include animated series such as '' The New Batman Adventure ...

(born 1973), Canadian-born actor whose family is of Russian Jewish descent *

Gene Stupnitsky Gene Stupnitsky (born August 26, 1977) is a Ukrainian-born American film and television writer and producer. He grew up in the suburbs of Chicago. He usually works with Lee Eisenberg, with whom he founded Quantity Entertainment. Life and caree ...

(born 1977), screenwriter, born in Kyiv, now Ukraine * Svoy (born 1980), Russian-born American songwriter/producer for

Universal Music Group Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch– American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...

Gene Wilder Jerome Silberman (June 11, 1933 – August 29, 2016), known professionally as Gene Wilder, was an American actor, comedian, writer and filmmaker. He is known mainly for his comedic roles, but also for his portrayal of Willy Wonka in ''Willy Won ...

(1933–2016), actor, father was a Russian immigrant and mother was of Polish descent *

George Gaynes George Gaynes (born George Jongejans; May 16, 1917 – February 15, 2016) was a Finnish-born American singer, actor, and voice artist. Born to Dutch and Russian-Finnish parents in the Grand Duchy of Finland of the Russian Empire, he served in the ...

(1917–2016), actor, singer * Tonearm (Ilia Bis), performance musician *

Michelle Trachtenberg Michelle Trachtenberg (; born October 11, 1985) is an American actress and model. Trachtenberg began her career at age three, appearing in a number of commercials, films, and television series as a child. Her starring role on the Nickelodeon tel ...

(born 1985), television and film actress, mother is an immigrant Jewish from Russia *

Sofia Vassilieva Sofia Vladimirovna Vassilieva (born October 22, 1992) is an American actress. Notable roles include portraying the children's book character Eloise in '' Eloise at the Plaza'' and '' Eloise at Christmastime'', Ariel DuBois in the Emmy-winning ...

(born 1992), actress, parents were Russian immigrants *

Lana Wood Lana Wood (born Svetlana Lisa Gurdin; March 1, 1946) is an American actress and producer. She made her film debut in ''The Searchers'' as a child actress and later achieved notability for playing Sandy Webber on the TV series '' Peyton Place'' a ...

(born 1946), actress, parents were immigrants from Russia *

Natalie Wood Natalie Wood ( Zacharenko; July 20, 1938 – November 29, 1981) was an American actress who began her career in film as a child and successfully transitioned to young adult roles. Wood started acting at age four and was given a co-starring r ...

(1938–1981), Academy Award-nominated actress, won a Golden Globe, parents were immigrants from Russia * Anton Yelchin (1989–2016), actor, Jewish immigrant from Russia * Elena Zoubareva (born 1972), opera singer, immigrant from Russia

Visual arts

Jane Aaron Jane Frances Aaron (April 16, 1948 – June 27, 2015) was an American filmmaker and children's book illustrator, best known for her work on ''Between the Lions'' and ''Sesame Street''. Aaron mixed live-action shots and animated images to teach ...

(1948–2015), filmmaker *

Miya Ando Miya Ando (born 1973) is an American visual artist recognized for her paintings, sculptures, and installation artworks that address concepts of temporality, interdependence, and impermanence. Ando's artworks have been exhibited in museums, galler ...

(born 1978), artist *

Andrey Avinoff Andrey Avinoff (14 February 1884 – 16 July 1949); was an internationally-known artist, lepidopterist, museum director, professor, bibliophile and iconographer, who served as the director of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh ...

(1884*

(1934–2023), actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, grandchild of Russian immigrants1949), artist and painter *

Irwin Chanin Irwin Salmon Chanin (October 29, 1891 – February 24, 1988) was an American architect and real estate developer, best known for designing several Art Deco towers and Broadway theaters. Biography Irwin Chanin was born to a Jewish family, the son ...

(1891–1988), architect and builder whose skyline signature was formed of jazzy

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...

towers and six elegant

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

theaters * Dimitri Devyatkin (born 1949), filmmaker and video artist * Misha Frid (born 1938), sculptor, artist, graphic designer and filmmaker *

Alexander Golitzen Prince Alexander Golitzen (Golitsyn), (Moscow, February 28, 1908San Diego, July 26, 2005) was a Russian-born American production designer who oversaw art direction on more than 300 movies. Born in Moscow in the princely Golitsyn family, Alexande ...

(1908–2005), TV and theater art director *

Ilya Kabakov Ilya Iosifovich Kabakov (Russian: Илья́ Ио́сифович Кабако́в; born September 30, 1933), is a Russian–American conceptual artist, born in Dnipropetrovsk in what was then the Ukrainian SSR of the Soviet Union. He worked f ...

(born 1933), sculptor, painter, installation artist * Fyodor Kamensky (1836–1913), sculptor *

Louis Lozowick Louis Lozowick (1892 – 1973) (ukr: Луї Лозовик) was a Ukrainian-born American painter and printmaker. He is recognized as an Art Deco and Precisionist artist, and mainly produced streamline, urban-inspired monochromatic litho ...

(1892–1973), American painter and printmaker. He was born in the Russian Empire, came to the United States in 1906 *

Ernst Neizvestny Ernst Iosifovich Neizvestny (russian: Эрнст Ио́сифович Неизве́стный; 9 April 1925 – 9 August 2016) was a Russian sculptor, painter, graphic artist, and art philosopher. He emigrated to the U.S. in 1976 and lived and ...

(1925–2016), sculptor, painter, graphic artist, and art philosopher * Elizabeth Shoumatoff (1888–1980), portrait painter * Israel Tsvaygenbaum (born 1961), Russian-American Painter and Russian Jewish descent

Literature

* Isaac Asimov (1920–1992),

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...

writer *

Saul Bellow Saul Bellow (born Solomon Bellows; 10 July 1915 – 5 April 2005) was a Canadian-born American writer. For his literary work, Bellow was awarded the Pulitzer Prize, the Nobel Prize for Literature, and the National Medal of Arts. He is the only w ...

(1915–2005), writer * Reginald Bretnor (1911–1992), science fiction and fantasy writer * Joseph Brodsky (1940–1996), Nobel Prize in Literature 1987 * Michael Dorfman (born 1965), writer *

Sergei Dovlatov Sergei Donatovich Dovlatov (russian: link=no, Сергей Донатович Довлатов; 1941 1990) was a Soviet journalist and writer. Internationally, he is one of the most popular Russian writers of the late 20th century. Biography ...

(1941–1990), short story writer and novelist * Alexander Genis (born 1953), writer and journalist, emigrated from Russian in 1977 * Daniel Genis (born 1978), writer and journalist, parents emigrated from Russian in 1977 *

Jacob Gordin Jacob Michailovitch Gordin (Yiddish: יעקב מיכאַילאָװיטש גאָרדין; May 1, 1853 – June 11, 1909) was a Russian-born American playwright active in the early years of Yiddish theater. He is known for introducing realism an ...

(1853–1909), playwright * Michelle Izmaylov (born 1991), Russian-American science fiction and fantasy writer *

Vladimir Nabokov Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov (russian: link=no, Владимир Владимирович Набоков ; 2 July 1977), also known by the pen name Vladimir Sirin (), was a Russian-American novelist, poet, translator, and entomologist. Bor ...

(1899–1977), writer * Chuck Palahniuk (born 1962), novelist & freelance journalist, most known for the award-winning novel

Fight Club ''Fight Club'' is a 1999 American film directed by David Fincher and starring Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, and Helena Bonham Carter. It is based on the 1996 novel of the same name by Chuck Palahniuk. Norton plays the unnamed narrator, who is d ...

* Ayn Rand (1905–1982), born as Alisa Zinovyevna Rosenbaum, a Russian-born American writer and philosopher and novelist *

Michael Rostovtzeff Mikhail Ivanovich Rostovtzeff, or Rostovtsev (russian: Михаи́л Ива́нович Росто́вцев; – October 20, 1952), was a Russian historian whose career straddled the 19th and 20th centuries and who produced important works ...

(1870–1952), writer * Alex Shoumatoff (born 1946), magazine journalist and author * David Shrayer-Petrov (born 1936), Moscow-born author, medical scientist, and former refusenik *

Maxim D. Shrayer Maxim D. Shrayer (russian: Шраер, Максим Давидович; born June 5, 1967, Moscow, USSR) is a bilingual Russian-American author, translator, and literary scholar, and a professor of Russian, English, and Jewish Studies at Boston ...

(born 1967), Moscow-born bilingual author, literary scholar and translator *

Gary Shteyngart Gary Shteyngart (; born July 5, 1972) is a Soviet-born American writer. He is the author of five novels (including ''Absurdistan'' and '' Super Sad True Love Story'') and a memoir. Much of his work is satirical. Early life Born Igor Semyonovich ...

(born 1972), Russian-born writer

Science

* Alexei A. Abrikosov (1928–2017), theoretical physicist *

Boris Altshuler Boris Leonidovich Altshuler (russian: Бори́с Леонидович Альтшу́лер, born 27 January 1955, Leningrad, USSR) is a professor of theoretical physics at Columbia University. His specialty is theoretical condensed matter physic ...

(born 1955), contributed to the theory of universal conduction fluctuations *

(1884–1949), museology, lepidoptery, entomology *

Alexander Beilinson Alexander A. Beilinson (born 1957) is the David and Mary Winton Green University professor at the University of Chicago and works on mathematics. His research has spanned representation theory, algebraic geometry and mathematical physics. In 1 ...

(born 1957), mathematician known for contributions to

representation theory Representation theory is a branch of mathematics that studies abstract algebraic structures by ''representing'' their elements as linear transformations of vector spaces, and studies modules over these abstract algebraic structures. In essen ...

, algebraic geometry and

mathematical physics Mathematical physics refers to the development of mathematical methods for application to problems in physics. The '' Journal of Mathematical Physics'' defines the field as "the application of mathematics to problems in physics and the developme ...

Viktor Belenko Viktor Ivanovich Belenko (russian: Виктор Иванович Беленко, born 15 February 1947) is a Russian-born American aerospace engineer and former Soviet pilot who defected in 1976 to the West while flying his MiG-25 jet intercep ...

(born 1947), aerospace engineer, former

Soviet Air Force The Soviet Air Forces ( rus, Военно-воздушные силы, r=Voyenno-vozdushnyye sily, VVS; literally "Military Air Forces") were one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Soviet Air Defence Forces. The Air Forces ...

pilot * Lera Boroditsky (born 1976), cognitive scientist * Alexander Bolonkin (1933–2020), cybernetician *

Theodosius Dobzhansky Theodosius Grigorievich Dobzhansky (russian: Феодо́сий Григо́рьевич Добржа́нский; uk, Теодо́сій Григо́рович Добржа́нський; January 25, 1900 – December 18, 1975) was a prominent ...

(1900–1975), biologist *

Alexei L. Efros Alexei Lvovich Efros (russian: Алексей Львович Эфрос) is an American theoretical physicist who specializes in condensed matter physics. He is currently a Distinguished Professor at University of Utah. Biography Efros was born ...

(born 1938), physicist, received the

Oliver E. Buckley Condensed Matter Prize The Oliver E. Buckley Condensed Matter Prize is an annual award given by the American Physical Society "to recognize and encourage outstanding theoretical or experimental contributions to condensed matter physics." It was endowed by AT&T Bell Lab ...

Alexander Esenin-Volpin Alexander Sergeyevich Esenin-Volpin (also written Ésénine-Volpine and Yessenin-Volpin in his French and English publications; russian: Алекса́ндр Серге́евич Есе́нин-Во́льпин, p=ɐlʲɪˈksandr sʲɪrˈɡʲejɪ ...

(1924–2016), mathematician * Alex Eskin (born 1965), mathematician *

Sergey Fomin Sergey Vladimirovich Fomin (Сергей Владимирович Фомин) (born 16 February 1958 in Saint Petersburg, Russia) is a Russian American mathematician who has made important contributions in combinatorics and its relations with ...

(born 1958), mathematician *

Edward Frenkel Edward Vladimirovich Frenkel (; born May 2, 1968) is a Russian-American mathematician working in representation theory, algebraic geometry, and mathematical physics. He is a professor of mathematics at University of California, Berkeley, a member ...

(born 1968), mathematician *

Lex Fridman Lex Fridman ( /'lɛks 'friːdmæn/; , Russian: ) is a Russian-American computer scientist, podcaster, and an artificial intelligence researcher. He is a research scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and he hosts the ''Lex Fr ...

(born 1986), computer scientist *

George Gamow George Gamow (March 4, 1904 – August 19, 1968), born Georgiy Antonovich Gamov ( uk, Георгій Антонович Гамов, russian: Георгий Антонович Гамов), was a Russian-born Soviet and American polymath, theoret ...

(1904–1968), astrophysicist, developer of Lemaître's

Big Bang theory The Big Bang event is a physical theory that describes how the universe expanded from an initial state of high density and temperature. Various cosmological models of the Big Bang explain the evolution of the observable universe from the ...

, theoretical explanation of

alpha decay Alpha decay or α-decay is a type of radioactive decay in which an atomic nucleus emits an alpha particle (helium nucleus) and thereby transforms or 'decays' into a different atomic nucleus, with a mass number that is reduced by four and an at ...

via

quantum tunneling In physics, a quantum (plural quanta) is the minimum amount of any physical entity (physical property) involved in an interaction. The fundamental notion that a physical property can be "quantized" is referred to as "the hypothesis of quantizati ...

* Dmitri Z. Garbuzov (1940–2006), physicist, was one of the pioneers and inventors of room temperature continuous-wave-operating diode

laser A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation. The word "laser" is an acronym for "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation". The fi ...

s and high-power diode lasers * Victor Galitski,

physicist A physicist is a scientist who specializes in the field of physics, which encompasses the interactions of matter and energy at all length and time scales in the physical universe. Physicists generally are interested in the root or ultimate cau ...

theorist A theory is a rational type of abstract thinking about a phenomenon, or the results of such thinking. The process of contemplative and rational thinking is often associated with such processes as observational study or research. Theories may be ...

in the areas of condensed matter physics and quantum physics *

Moses Gomberg Moses Gomberg (February 8, 1866 – February 12, 1947) was a chemistry professor at the University of Michigan. He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences and served as president of the American Chemical Society. Early life and education ...

(1866–1947), founder of radical chemistry *

Lev Gor'kov Lev Petrovich Gor'kov (russian: Лев Петро́вич Горько́в; 14 June 1929 – 28 December 2016) was a Russian-American research physicist internationally known for his pioneering work in the field of superconductivity. He was particul ...

(1929–2016), pioneering work in the field of superconductivity * Vladimir Nikolayevich Ipatieff (1867–1952), chemist, important contributions are in the field of petroleum chemistry and catalysts * Anton Kapustin (born 1971), theoretical physicist * Morris S. Kharasch (1895–1957), chemistry * Mikhail Khovanov (born 1972), mathematician * Sergei Khrushchev (1935–2020), professor and son of former Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev * Olga Kocharovskaya (born 1956), known for her contributions to quantum optics and gamma ray modulation * Simon Kuznets (1901–1985), economist, statistician, demographer, and economic historian, the winner of 1971 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences * Anatoly Larkin (1932–2005), physicist, discovered collective pinning of magnetic flux in Superconductivity, superconductors, predicted paraconductivity, made essential contributions to the Weak localization, theory of weak localization, as well as developed the concept of the Ehrenfest time and its effect on phenomena of quantum chaos * Andrei Linde (born 1948), developed a theory of cosmological phase transitions, one of the main authors of the Inflation (cosmology), inflationary universe theory, as well as the theory of eternal inflation and inflationary multiverse * Alexander Nikolayevich Lodygin (1847–1923), electrical engineer and inventor, one of inventors of the incandescent light bulb * Mikhail Lukin (born 1971), theoretical and experimental physicist * Grigory Margulis (born 1946), mathematician known for his introduction of methods from ergodic theory into diophantine approximation * Abraham Maslow (1908–1970), psychologist * Alexander A. Maximow (1874–1928), in the fields of medicine, histology, embryology and hematology * Alexander Arkadyevich Migdal, Alexander Migdal (born 1945), physicist, known for quantum chromodynamics and conformal field theory * Guenakh Mitselmakher, physicist who contributed to the discovery of GW150914 using his developed conductor * Andrei Okounkov (born 1969), winner of the Fields Medal (2006) * Ivan Ostromislensky (1880–1939), chemistry, pharmacy * Alexey Pajitnov (born 1956), software engineer and video game designer, inventor of Tetris * Vladimir Pentkovski (1946–2012), researcher who led the team that developed the architecture for the Pentium III processor * Boris Podolsky (1896–1966), physicist known for EPR paradox * Alexander Markovich Polyakov, Alexander M. Polyakov (born 1945), known for contributions to quantum field theory and theta vacuum, vacuum angle in Quantum chromodynamics, QCD * Gennady Potapenko (1894–1979), radio astronomer * Nikolay Prokof'ev, physicist, known for his works on theory of supersolids includes the theory of superfluidity of crystalline defects * Tatyana Proskuryakova, Tatiana Proskouriakoff (1909–1985), Russian-American Mayanist * Anatol Rapoport (1911–2007), American mathematical psychologist * Alexander L. Rosenberg (1946–2012), mathematician * Ivan Raimi (born 1956), Doctor of Medicine, osteopathic * Vladimir Rojansky (1900–1981), physicist * David Shrayer-Petrov (born 1936), medical scientist, microbiologist, immunologist, biophage specialist * Yakov Sinai (born 1935), mathematician known for his work on dynamical systems. Sinai has won several awards, including the Nemmers Prize in Mathematics, Nemmers Prize, the Wolf Prize in Mathematics and the Abel Prize * James Alexander Shohat (1886–1944), mathematician * Alexander Shulgin (1925–2014), pharmacologist, chemist and drug developer * Mark Stockman (1947–2020), physicist * Otto Struve (1897–1963), astronomer * Boris Svistunov (born 1959), physicist, co-inventor of the widely used Worm Monte-Carlo algorithm * Jacob Tamarkin (1888–1945), mathematician and vice-president of American Mathematical Society in 1942-43 * Leon Theremin (1896–1993), physicist, inventor of the Theremin * Peter Turchin (born 1957), biologist and the father of cliodynamics * Petr Ufimtsev (born 1931), Russian-American mathematician and physicist * J. V. Uspensky (1883–1947), mathematician * Arkady Vainshtein (born 1942), theoretical physicist * Vladimir Vapnik (born 1936), developed the theory of the support vector machine also known as the "fundamental theory of learning" an important part of computational learning theory * Leonid Vaseršteĭn (born 1944), mathematician known for providing a proof of Quillen–Suslin theorem * Lev Vekker (1918–2001), psychologist * Vladimir Voevodsky (1966–2017), the winner of the Fields Medal (2002) * Alexander Vyssotsky (1888–1973), astronomer * Paul Wiegmann (born 1952), physicist, pioneering contributions to the field of Integrable system#Quantum integrable systems, quantum integrable systems, including the exact solution of Kondo model * Vladimir Yurkevich (1885–1964), naval architect * Boris Yakovlevich Zeldovich, Boris Zeldovich (1944–2018), physicist * Efim Zelmanov (born 1955), winner of the Fields Medal (1994), professor at the University of California, San Diego * George Zweig (born 1937), proposed the existence of quarks at CERN, independently of Murray Gell-Mann * Vladimir Kosma Zworykin (1888–1982), one of the inventors of television

Sports

* Benjamin Agosto (born 1982), ice dancer. * Doc Alexander (1897–1975), NFL football player and coach * Lyle Alzado (1949–1992), NFL All Pro defensive tackle * Amanda Anisimova (born 2001), tennis player * Al Axelrod (1921–2004), Olympic fencer - bronze medalist * Deborah Babashoff (born 1970), competition swimmer * Jack Babashoff (born 1955), Olympic swimmer - silver medalist * Shirley Babashoff (born 1957), Olympic swimmer - gold/silver medalist * Bo Belinsky (1936–2001), baseball player * Mohini Bhardwaj (born 1978), gymnast"Her Party Life Over, She Returned to Bars"
Diane Pucin, ''Los Angeles Times,'' July 19, 2001 * Fred Biletnikoff (born 1943), football wide receiver and coach * Sue Bird (born 1980), professional women's basketball player * Alex Bogomolov, Jr. (born 1983), professional tennis player * Nathan Bor (1913–1972), boxer * Alex Bregman (born 1994), baseball player * Daniel Bukantz (1917–2008), four-time Olympic fencer * Maxim Dlugy (born 1966), grandmaster of chess * Brandon Dubinsky (born 1986), hockey player * Rod Dyachenko (born 1983), footballer * Curtis Enis (born 1976), football player * Benny Friedman (1905–1982), NFL Hall of Fame football player * Alex Galchenyuk (born 1994), hockey player * Nastasya Generalova (born 2000), rhythmic gymnast, Russian mother * Bill Goldberg (born 1966), professional NFL American football, football player and undefeated professional wrestling, wrestler * Charles Goldenberg (1911–1986), All-Pro NFL player * Alexander Goldin (born 1964), chess grandmaster * Jon Robert Holden (born 1976), basketball player for Russian national team * Nat Holman (1896–1995), Hall of Fame basketball player * Red Holzman (1920–1998), NBA Hall of Fame basketball player and coach * Irving Jaffee (1906–1981), Olympic speed skater; two gold medals * Sofia Kenin (born 1998), tennis player * Andrei Kirilenko (basketball), Andrei Kirilenko (born 1981), basketball player * Anna Kotchneva (born 1970), gymnast * Anna Kournikova (born 1981), tennis player and model * Vladimir Kozlov (born 1979), professional wrestler * Travis Kvapil (born 1976), race car driver * Varvara Lepchenko (born 1986), professional tennis player * Nastia Liukin (born 1989), gymnast * Valeri Liukin (born 1966), artistic gymnast * Ilia Malinin (born 2004), figure skater, first skater to land a Quad (figure skating), Quad Axel * Cade McNown (born 1977), football player * Frank Mir (born 1979), mixed martial artist * Boris Nachamkin (born 1933), NBA basketball player * Evgeni Nabokov (born 1975), San Jose Sharks' former Goalie * Patrick O'Neal (sportscaster) (born 1967), studio host and reporter * Denis Petukhov (born 1978), figure skater * Sergei Raad (born 1982), soccer player * Jack Sack (1902–1980), American football player and coach * Dmitry Salita (born 1982), boxer * Ossie Schectman (1919–2013), basketball player who scored the first basket in National Basketball Association history * Andy Seminick (1920–2004), professional baseball player * Maria Sharapova (born 1987), tennis player * Allie Sherman (1923–2015), National Football League player and head coach * Mose Solomon (1900–1966), the "Rabbi of Swat," Major League Baseball player * Kerri Strug (born 1977), gymnast * Peter Tchernyshev (born 1971), ice-dancer * Phil Weintraub (1907–1987), Major League Baseball first baseman and outfielder * Ted Williams (1918–2002), Major League Baseball left fielder

Military

* Boris Pash (1900–1995), Colonel of the US Army * Gary Tabach (born 1962), retired United States Navy captain, the first Soviet-born citizen to be commissioned an officer in the Armed Forces of the United States * Ivan Turchaninov, John Basil Turchin (1822–1901), Union army general in the American Civil War

Business

* Dmitri Alperovitch (born 1980) * Marc Benioff (born 1964), founder of Salesforce * Sergey Brin (born 1973), co-founder of Google, Russian-Jewish immigrant * Boris Chaikovsky (1925–1996), founder of Tele-King International * Valentin Gapontsev (1939–2021), fiber laser technology pioneer, founder of IPG Photonics * Alexander M. Poniatoff, Alexander Poniatoff (1892–1980), founder of Ampex Corporation * Alexander P. de Seversky (1894–1974), founder of the Seversky Aircraft Corporation, founder and trustee of the New York Institute of Technology * Igor Sikorsky (1889–1972), an aviation pioneer in both helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, founder of the Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, a leading US helicopter manufacturer * Serge Sorokko (born 1954), art dealer, publisher and patron * Michael Stroukoff (1883–1973), President of the Chase Aircraft Company, founder of the Stroukoff Aircraft Corporation * André Tchelistcheff (1901–1994), America's most influential post-Prohibition winemaker * Ratmir Timashev (born 1966), founder and CEO of Veeam Software.

Politics

* Bella Abzug (1920–1998), former Representative from New York (Both of her parents were History of the Jews in Russia, Russian Jewish immigrants) *Alec Brook-Krasny (born 1958), first Soviet-born Russian speaker to become a member of the New York State Assembly * Ben Cardin (born 1943), politician of Russian Jewish descent * William Cohen (born 1940), father of Russian Jewish descent * Russ Feingold (born 1953), partial Russian Jewish descent * Al Franken (born 1951), maternal grandmother of Russian Jewish descent * Gary Johnson (born 1953), mother of partial Russian descent * Jon Ossoff (born 1987), father of partial Russian Jewish descent * Bernie Sanders (born 1941), mother of partial Russian descent * Scott Stringer (born 1960), New York City Comptroller and Borough President of Manhattan, of part Russian Jewish descent * Jim Talent (born 1956), former U.S. Senator, paternal grandparents were Jewish immigrants from Russia

Economics

* Simon Kuznets (1901–1985), contribution to the transformation of economics into an empirical science and to the formation of quantitative economic history * Wassily Leontief (1905–1999), economist, Nobel Prize 1973 * Hyman Minsky (1919–1996), economist, renowned for his research on financial crisis. Born to a Belarussian Jewish Menshevik immigrant family.

Modeling

* Angelika Kallio (born 1972), model born in Riga * Tatiana Kovylina (born 1981), model born in Kazan * Josie Maran (born 1978), model of Russian descent * Michele Merkin (born 1975), model and television host, also of Swedish and Russian Jewish descent * Anya Monzikova (born 1984), model and actress born in Vologda * Irina Pantaeva (born 1972), model and actress born in Ulan-Ude * Kristina Pimenova (born 2005), child model and actress * Sasha Pivovarova (born 1985), model born in

* Natasha Poly (born 1985), model born in Perm * Vlada Roslyakova (born 1987), model born in Omsk * Tatiana Sorokko (born 1971), model and fashion writer born in Arzamas-16 * Daria Strokous (born 1990), model born in Moscow * Eugenia Volodina (born 1984), model born in Kazan * Anne Vyalitsyna (born 1986), model and actress

Other

* Svetlana Alliluyeva (1926–2011), daughter of Joseph Stalin * David I. Arkin (1906–1980), teacher, painter, writer, lyricist, parents were Russian immigrants * Benny Benson (1913–1972), designer of flag of Alaska * Antuan Bronshtein (1972–1973), convicted murderer; Russian immigrant * Jacob W. Davis (1831–1908), tailor, invention of Jeans * Peter Demens (1850–1919), one of the founders of the U.S. city of Saint Petersburg, Florida. * Max Factor Sr. (1877–1938), founder of the cosmetics giant Max Factor & Company, was born in Russian Poland. Russian nobility appointed Factor the official cosmetics expert for the royal family and the Imperial Russian Grand Opera * Betty Freeman (1921–2009), art philanthropist, father was a Russian immigrant * Masha Gessen (born 1967), journalist, author, translator and activist; Russian Jewish immigrant * Bianna Golodryga (born 1978), journalist; Russian Jewish immigrant (born in Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic, Moldovan SSR) * John A. Gotti (born 1964), leader of the Gambino Crime Family of the Cosa Nostra. Mother is of Russian descent * Oleg Kalugin (born 1934), former head of KGB operations in the United States * Taras Kulakov (born 1987), YouTube personality known for life hack and gadget reviewing videos, of Ukrainians, Ukrainian descent * Loren Leman (born 1950), former lieutenant governor of Alaska, one of his ancestors was a Russian settler who married an indigenous Alutiiq woman in Kodiak, Alaska, Kodiak while Russia claimed and colonized Alaska centuries ago * Janosh Neumann (born 1979), former FSB agent who defected to USA in 2008. His birth name is Alexey Artamonov. * Neil Sedaka (born 1939), singer-songwriter * Pitirim Sorokin (1889–1968), founded Harvard Sociology Department in 1930 * Doctor Mike, Mikhail Varshavski (born 1989), known professionally as Doctor Mike, Russian-born internet celebrity, internet personality and family medicine physician, moved to the U.S. with his family at the age of six. * Vitaly Zdorovetskiy (born 1992), Russian Jewish YouTube personality known for his adult rated pranks, was born in Murmansk

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Russian Americans American people of Russian descent, Russian diaspora in the United States, Americans Lists of American people by ethnic or national origin Lists of people by ethnicity Lists of Russian people, Americans