One of the most remarkable composers of the XX century, virtuous pianists and conductor Sergei Prokofiev was born in Donetsky region, Ukraine. He was fond of music from 5 years, and had already written his first plays in the age of 9. Prokofiev had graduated Conservatory of Petersburg, and since 1908 started to give the concerts with his own compositions. In 1918 he emigrated to USA. Till 1936, before his returning to USSR, Prokofiev had been successfully going on tour all around USA, Cuba, Japan and Europe. He died in 1953, being National artist of USSR, and created 11 operas and 7 ballets (several were written for Dyagilev's troop) among great quantity of his instrumental, vocal and symphonic music.

Alla Nazimova (real name - Marem-Ides [Adelaida] Leventon, an American cinema and theater actress, film producer and screenwriter, the first Russian actress in Hollywood, was born in Yalta (the Crimea) in 1879 into Jewish family of pharmacist Jacob Leventon. She is also famous under name Alia Nasimoff. Family lived in own house on Yalta embankment, #191. She studied in Yalta pro-gymnasium in 1890-1893 under name Adelaida Leventon. After she moved to Odessa and to Moscow, where she was a student of K.Stanislavsky. In 1905 she visited USA on theatre tour and stayed here, signed the contract with the legendary producer Lee Shubert. MGM cinema company suggested her honorarium 13,000 dollars per week (3,000 more than Mary Pickford's fee).
Her mansion in Hollywood, Sunset Boulevard, 8080, known as "The Garden of Alla," was a place where often organized party's for Hollywood's jet set: Charlie Chaplin, Sister Dorothy and Lillian Gish, Ted Bar, Gloria Swanson, Fatty Arbuckle, and many others.
She died in 1945 in Los Angeles.
There are two Stars on Hollywood Walk of Fame, connected with her name.
Alla Nazimova befriended with actress Edith Luckett and was the godmother of her daughter Nancy - the future wife of American President Ronald Reagan.

Henry Davidoff, the owner of a cigarette shop on the territory of the Podol in Kiev, dreamt his son Zinovii  Davidoff to become a violinist; but he decided to continue cigarette business and reached unexpectedly great results. In 1911 the family emigrated to Switzerland. From 1930th Zino Davidoff handled the management of the father's shop. Step by step, the shop transformed to a large tobacco-selling company, which had been benefiting especially after the World War II. Later the glory about cigarettes, cigars, vine, cognac, perfume and accessories of "Davidoff" - brand spread all around the world. Also Zino Davidoff is known as inventor of a humidor - the box for the cigar saving.

1683: the Ottoman army had been sieging Vienna during 2 months. Polish king (Great prince of Lithuania) Yan III Sobesky decided to attract 5,000 of Ukrainian Zaporozhian Cossacks in his army. There are some evidences that the king had appreciated Zaporozhian army as the best infantry, because it was hardy, got used to the fields work, and also, Cossacks were the best in crossing the rivers and forests. As a result, the Christian forces got a victory. The battle of Vienna, 1683, became the decisive moment in 300s-years confrontation to the Ottoman Empire, and stopped aggressive wars against Europe for ever.

Simon Kuznets, American economist, emigrated in 1922 from Kharkov, Ukraine, became Nobel Prize-winner in 1971. The scientist was a pioneer in the research of national income and its problems, economic cycles and economic growth. He was a founder of The Construction Industry Cycles Theory.

Sergey Korolyov,  the father of the space-rocket equipment,  was also born in Ukraine, Zhytomyr. Being of 17 years he had already become an author of the K-5 - project of the motorless plan. Was a scientist, constructor and organizer of production space and missile technology and missile weapons of the Soviet Union, the founder of practical cosmonautics. The largest figure of the 20th cen in the field of space rocket production and shipbuilding. He is considered by many as the father of practical astronautics. Thanks to him, the artificial satellite was firstly in the human history launched to the Earth orbit (1957); later the rocket with the dogs Belka and Strelka in it departed, and in 1961 Yury Gagarin made his famous flight to space.

More facts see also on:

Odessa Private Guides

 Yalta - Sevastopol - Odessa Private Guides