Rudolf Nureyev, an outstanding ballet artist, was in demand both on the Soviet stage and abroad. He is considered the most famous dancer of the 20th century, and his technique and jumps have become classics. After touring Paris in 1961, he refused to return to the Soviet Union, seeking political asylum, and became one of the most famous refugees in the country's history. After ending his dancing career, Nureyev tried his hand as a choreographer and film actor, and in his later years became a conductor at the Paris Opera.

Although Nureyev's biography states that he was born in Irkutsk, he was actually born on a train heading to Vladivostok, and his birth was only recorded at a station near Irkutsk. Rudolf was the youngest child in the family of the political instructor of the Red Army, Khamet Fazleevich, a Tatar by nationality, and his wife Farida Agliullovna. He had three older sisters: Roza, Rozida, and Lydia.

Nureyev's childhood was spent in evacuation in Ufa, where he began to show interest in dance at the age of 5. His father, who returned from the war with the rank of major, was unhappy with his son's choice and tried to instill a love for fishing and hunting, but Rudolf remained indifferent to these activities.

His father often punished him, but this did not deter Rudolf from choreography. By the age of 11, he was performing in a folk dance ensemble at the House of Culture. At 15, he began working in the corps de ballet of the Ufa Opera Theater, and a year later became a full member of the troupe.

In 1955, at the age of 17, Nureyev went to Leningrad to study at the choreographic school. However, he did not take into account that they accepted children from the age of 12, which made it difficult for him to find common ground with his classmates, and he was subjected to ridicule. Because of this, Nureyev could not live in the dormitory and settled with his mentor Alexander Pushkin's family.

In 1958, Rudolf graduated from the school and was immediately invited to the troupe of the Leningrad State Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet named after S. M. Kirov at the request of prima ballerina Natalia Dudinskaya.

Nureyev's first professional role was the part of Frondoso in the ballet "Laurencia." Later, he participated in the VII World Festival of Youth and Students in Vienna, where he received a gold medal. In three years, he became an important figure in the troupe and toured Bulgaria, East Germany, and Egypt, which allowed him to easily obtain a French visa for performances in Paris.

After several performances, the KGB demanded to remove Nureyev from the tour and return him to the USSR, officially stating that he had "violated the regime of staying abroad." However, eyewitnesses believe that the reason was his non-traditional orientation. Nureyev decided not to comply, requested political asylum in France, and became the most famous "non-returnee" in the history of the USSR, where imprisonment awaited him.

His escape caused a huge resonance, as just two months earlier the country celebrated the first flight of a human into space. Nureyev was declared a traitor, but in 1985 he was allowed to return to the country for three days to attend his mother's funeral. Everyone who knew him in his youth was warned about the ban on communication with him.

Previously, Nureyev had tried to contact his relatives, but the "iron curtain" hindered this. However, he found a way out: the queen of one Arab state, who visited the USSR, delivered a letter to his mother and expressed admiration for her son's talent.

In France, Nureyev joined the "Ballet of Marquis de Cuevas," but soon left the country due to a refusal of political asylum. The United Kingdom welcomed him, and he moved to London, where he created a benchmark duet with ballerina Margot Fonteyn at the Royal Ballet of Covent Garden.

Later, Nureyev became a premier at the Vienna Opera and received Austrian citizenship. He actively performed around the world, giving up to 300 performances a year.

His fame in the West was deafening, and he became part of pop culture. Nureyev was friends with Elizabeth Taylor and Princess Diana, and Jacqueline Kennedy helped him with the interior of his apartment in New York. He also became the hero of an episode of "The Muppet Show," where he performed with Miss Piggy.

Thanks to his hard work and fame, Nureyev became the richest ballet artist, amassing a fortune of $80 million. He owned real estate in Paris, New York, London, as well as estates in the USA, France, and Italy. He even purchased an archipelago, where he built a villa with a ballet class and a swimming pool.

In 1983, Nureyev was diagnosed with the HIV virus. The disease progressed, and on January 6, 1993, in the suburbs of Paris, the great dancer passed away from AIDS.