Famous People Born In Kyiv

Kazimir Malevich was a Russian artist and art theorist. His pioneering work had a major influence on the development of abstract art in the 20th century. An influential personality, Malevich's art and writing influenced several artists like Lyubov Popova, El Lissitzky, Alexander Rodchenko, and Ad Reinhardt. His works are showcased in many major art museums around the world.

The quintessential action heroine of Hollywood, Milla Jovovich was rightly called the reigning queen of kick-butt by VH1 in 2006. Milla Jovovich is synonymous with the Resident Evil film series as the series revolves around its central character Alice, played by Milla. The Resident Evil film franchise is the highest-grossing movie series to be adapted from video games.

Vaslav Nijinsky was a ballet dancer and choreographer. He is counted among the greatest male dancers of the early 20th century. He was known for the intensity of his characterizations. He was brilliant and could dance en pointe, a rare skill few male dancers of his era possessed. He suffered from mental health issues in his later life. 

Born in present-day Ukraine and brought up in the United States, the phenomenal rise of Golda Meir to become the prime minister of Israel was driven by her sheer leadership qualities. She steered her country amid hostilities from its neighbourhood during her eventful term as premier which also saw the Yom Kippur War. She is remembered as a strong-willed woman.

Jan Koum is a Ukrainian American computer programmer and entrepreneur. He is credited with co-founding the popular cross-platform messaging service, WhatsApp. One of the most popular billionaires around the world, Koum donated almost $556 million to the donor-advised community foundation, Silicon Valley Community Foundation, in 2014.

Mikhail Bulgakov was a Russian writer, playwright, and medical doctor best remembered for his work The Master and Margarita, a novel which has been acclaimed as one of the 20th century's masterpieces. Over the years, his works have inspired several other personalities, including Salman Rushdie and Mick Jagger.    

Vladimir Kozlov is a Ukrainian-American retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his association with WWE, where he was the former tag team champion with Santino Marella. In 2008, he was named WWE’s Breakout Star of the Year. Vladimir Kozlov is currently signed with Impact Wrestling, where he works as the promotion's Russian-language commentator.

Former Russian prime minister Yevgeny Primakov had begun his career as a journalist for Pravda. He later went on multiple espionage missions as a KGB official, using the codename MAKSIM. He also denied reports that his father was a victim of the Stalinist purge and that he had changed his surname.

Max Levchin is a Ukrainian-American businessman and software engineer. He is credited with co-founding a company named Confinity which eventually became PayPal. Levchin is renowned for making an immense contribution to the company's anti-fraud efforts. Max Levchin is also credited with co-founding or founding companies like Affirm, HVF, and Slide.com.

Four-time winner of the AEGON Awards, Elena Baltacha was a Ukrainian-born British tennis player, who held the British No. I position for the first time at the age of nineteen. An unbelievable fighter, she continued to play despite her debilitating illness, winning matches almost till the very end, retiring from professional tennis five months before her death from liver cancer.

Anna Bessonova is a former individual rhythmic gymnast who represented Ukraine in several important events like the Olympics and World Championships. One of the most celebrated rhythmic gymnasts from Ukraine, Bessonova has two Olympic bronze medals, five World Championship gold medals, and three European Championship gold medals under her belt. Over the years, she has also participated in charity projects.