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Taneiev, Sergei Ivanovich

(Encyclopedia)Taneiev, Sergei Ivanovich syĭrgāˈ ēväˈnəvĭch tənyāˈəf [key], 1856–1915, Russian composer and teacher. He studied at the Moscow Conservatory under Nicholas Rubinstein and Tchaikovsky, suc...

Philaret, Vasily Drosdov

(Encyclopedia)Philaret or Filaret, Vasily Drosdov both: vəsēˈlyē drəsdôfˈ fēlərĕtˈ [key], 1782?–1867, Russian prelate, author, and preacher. He became archbishop of Tver and a member of the holy synod ...

Piatigorsky, Gregor

(Encyclopedia)Piatigorsky, Gregor pyätĭgôrˈskē [key], 1903–76, Ukrainian-American cellist. Piatigorsky studied with his father and at the Moscow Conservatory. In 1924 he became first cellist of the Berlin Ph...

Plisetskaya, Maya

(Encyclopedia)Plisetskaya, Maya mäˈyä plēsĕtsˈkäyä [key], 1925–2015, Russian dancer. Pliesetskaya became a soloist with the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow on graduating from its school in 1943. She soon gained...

Chekhov, Anton Pavlovich

(Encyclopedia)Chekhov, Anton Pavlovich chĕkˈôf, Rus. əntônˈ pävˈləvĭch chĕˈkhəv [key], 1860–1904, Russian short-story writer, dramatist, and physician, b. Taganrog. The son of a grocer and grandson o...

Orthodox Eastern Church

(Encyclopedia)Orthodox Eastern Church, community of Christian churches whose chief strength is in the Middle East and E Europe. Their members number some 300 million worldwide. The Orthodox agree doctrinally in acc...

Murom

(Encyclopedia)Murom mo͞oˈrəm [key], city (1989 pop. 124,000), W central European Russia, on the Oka River. It is a port and a rail junction, with railroad repair shops and machinery, woodworking, and textile ind...

Kulikovo, battle of

(Encyclopedia)Kulikovo, battle of ko͞olyĭkôˈvə [key], 1380, victory of Grand Duke Dmitri Donskoi of Moscow over Khan Mamai of the Golden Horde. The battle was fought on a plain by the Don near the present vill...

Bankhead, John Hollis

(Encyclopedia)Bankhead, John Hollis băngkˈhĕd [key], 1872–1946, American politician, b. Moscow, Ala.; brother of William Brockman Bankhead. He was elected to the Alabama legislature in 1903 and served in the U...

Cliburn, Van

(Encyclopedia)Cliburn, Van (Harvey Lavan Cliburn) klīˈbərn [key], 1934–2013, American pianist, b. Shreveport, La. Until 1951, Cliburn studied with his mother, a concert pianist; he later was a pupil of Rosina ...