7 GREATEST women in Russian history
1. Princess Olga (c. 920–969)
She was the first female ruler in Old Russia (acting as regent for her young son) and the first Russian ruler to convert to Christianity. She also became one of the first saints to be venerated in Russia equally to the Apostles.
2. Catherine the Great (1729-1796)
Despite having German roots, this Russian empress considered herself a Russian patriot. Her reign is often dubbed the ‘Golden Age’ of the Russian Empire and Russian nobility and a great example of “enlightened absolutism”. Under her rule, science and the arts flourished, while Russia's territories expanded.
3. Sofia Kovalevskaya (1850-1891)
The world’s first female professor and the first female mathematician in Russia, Sofia Kovalevskaya actually achieved scientific heights abroad. However, her interest in maths was awoken in her homeland.
4. Anna Pavlova (1881-1931)
This Russian ballerina had such incredible success worldwide that poems, sculptures and even a famous dessert were dedicated to her. She toured nearly the entire planet, astounding audiences with her ethereal, elegant leaps.
5. Alexandra Kollontai (1872-1952)
A revolutionary and associate of Vladimir Lenin, she became the first female minister in world history. She was in charge of social projects in the first Soviet government. In addition, she headed the women's department for many years, constantly fighting for equality. Later, Kollontai became one of the world's first female ambassadors, heading the Soviet embassy in Sweden for over 10 years.
6. Anna Akhmatova (1889-1966)
Anna Akhmatova was one of the most prominent literary figures of the 20th century and one of the first women writers to break into the literary Olympus, previously dominated by men. Her strong character helped leave immortal poetry and survive the terrible years of repression (her husband was executed, her son was arrested and her works were banned from publication).
7. Valentina Tereshkova (b. 1937)
She is the first woman to fly into space. In 1963, the then 25-year-old Tereshkova successfully completed a solo flight, orbiting the Earth 48 times. The daughter of a tractor driver and a textile factory worker, she was chosen from 8,000 other Soviet women who applied for the mission.