Switzerland
13 profiles with fame based in Switzerland
Switzerland — figures with Russian and Soviet roots
This page documents 13 notable figures based in Switzerland whose biographies connect to the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union, or the states that succeeded them — through birth, parentage, or earlier ancestry. Each profile is sourced and records the specific origin and connection.
Alexander Popov
Sprint king who rewrote what speed means.
Alexandra Kosteniuk
The queen who conquered chess on two continents.
Andrei Baronov
Russian co-founder of Veeam Software — one of the world's leading data protection companies
Martha Argerich
Buenos Aires-born pianist; granddaughter of Jewish immigrants from the Russian Empire to the Hirsch colonies of Entre Ríos
Serguei Beloussov
Leningrad-born co-founder of Acronis and Parallels — one of the most successful Russian tech entrepreneurs
Stanislav Smirnov
St. Petersburg-born mathematician who won the Fields Medal and teaches in Geneva
Viktor Korchnoi
Leningrad grandmaster who defected mid-match and fought Fischer and Karpov for the world crown
Zino Davidoff
Tobacconist born in the Russian Empire in 1906 and raised in Geneva; built the Davidoff name into one of the best-known luxury cigar brands
Andrei Melnichenko
Belarus-born fertilizer and coal magnate whose sailing superyacht is the world's largest
Gennady Timchenko
Putin's oldest business associate — co-founded Gunvor and became one of the world's top commodity traders
Viktor Vekselberg
Bought back the Fabergé eggs for Russia — Renova Group founder and Switzerland-based billionaire
Slava Bykov
Chelyabinsk-born ice hockey player and coach; two-time Olympic champion who led Russia to world titles in 2008 and 2009
Daniel Bernoulli
Wrote Hydrodynamica in Saint Petersburg