The Saga of James Lloydovich Patterson: Child Film Star, Naval Officer and Poet

In the following article, Amy Ballard, Senior Historic Preservation Specialist Emerita, Smithsonian Institution, describes the life of Russian-born James Lloydovich Patterson, who at the age of three was propelled to stardom in the 1936 Soviet classic film TSIRK (Circus). It was, in its own way, … Read MoreThe Saga of James Lloydovich Patterson: Child Film Star, Naval Officer and Poet

Olga (Ollie) Burgoyne (1879-1974)

Olga “Ollie” Burgoyne, also known as Ollie Burgoyne-Calloway, was a singer and dancer specializing in Russian and other ethnic dances. She was also an actress and businesswoman who gained popularity during the Harlem Renaissance and left her mark as one of the most influential African … Read MoreOlga (Ollie) Burgoyne (1879-1974)

Ivan Hannibal (1737 – 1801)

Russian military leader, Chief Commander of the Kherson, and General-in-Chief, Ivan Hannibal, was the eldest of Abram Hannibal’s eleven children with Christine Regina von Sjöberg and the great-uncle of Alexander Pushkin, regarded as the father of Russian literature. Enamored of his African heritage, Pushkin wrote … Read MoreIvan Hannibal (1737 – 1801)

Zhan Vensanovych Beleniuk (1991- )

Afro-Ukrainian champion athlete and politician Zhan Beleniuk was born January 24, 1991 in the capital city of Kyiv (a.k.a. Kiev) to Svitlana Beleniuk, a Ukrainian dressmaker. His father, Vincent Ndagijimana, an ethnic Hutu and former student at Ukraine’s National Aviation University, was killed in a … Read MoreZhan Vensanovych Beleniuk (1991- )