A Chuvash is a member of the Chuvash people, an ethnic group living in Russia. Leaders and politicians Vakrim (15th century) - Chuvash noble who left Golden Horde to become a vassal of Vasily the Blind. Mĕtri Căvaš (16th century) - hero of the siege of Kazan. Descendant of mărsa Vakrim, ancestor of Gavrila Derzhavin. Kamaj (16th century) - Chuvash mărsa at the service of Khan of Kazan who defected to the Russian side. Aransajpik (17th century) - Chuvash noble at Russian service who was granted 300 desiatinas of land around Şĕrpü (Tsivilsk). Daniil Elmen (1885–1932) - Chuvash statesman, first leader of Chuvash autonomy in Soviet Russia. Nikolay Fyodorov (b. 1958) - former president of Chuvashia. Military figures Iskej Pajtulĕ (17th century) - Chuvash poet, ataman (colonel) in the army of Stenka Razin. Religious figures Valĕm Huşa (12th century) - Volga Bulgar Muslim saint, highly revered by Chuvashes. Mehmet Huşa Celepi (16th century) - Chuvash convert to Islam, hajji (religious pilgrim) and scholar. Nikita Bichurin (1777–1853) - Christian archimandrite, orientalist. (perhaps quarter-Chuvash) Academic figures Educators Ivan Yakovlev (1848–1930) - Chuvash patriarch, inventor of modern Chuvash alphabet. Gennady Volkov (1927–2010) - Chuvash educator, Academician of the Russian Academy of Education, founder of the ethnopedagogics. Linguists Atner Husankaj (b. 1948) - linguist and philologist, first president of Chuvash National Congress. Son of poet Petĕr Husankaj. Journalists Nikolai Yut - Chuvash writer, folklorist and literary critic. Cultural figures Actors and actresses Tany Youne (1903–1977) - first Chuvash theater actress, the first Chuvash film actress. Boris Markov - actor, famous music director, People's Artist of the Russia and Chuvash ASSR. Architects Pyotr Yegorov (1731–1789) - author of the railing of Summer Garden. Ballet dancers Nadezhda Pavlova (b. 1956) - famous ballet dancer, People's Artist of the USSR. Musicians Alexey Aygi (b. 1971) - musician, son of Gennady Aygi. Elina Nechayeva - musician Painters Aleksey Kokel (1880–1956) - painter Nikolai Ovchinnikov (1918–2004) - People's Painter of the RSFSR and Chuvashia. Praski Vitti (b. 1936) - Chuvash painter and illustrator. Sculptors Gerasim Pileš (1913–1994) - writer, playwright, sculptor and graphicist. Writers and poets Emine (19th century) - most famous Chuvash woman poet. Kĕştenttin Ivanov (1890–1915) - outstanding poet, author of "Narspi". Mišši Śeśpĕl (1899–1922) - pioneer of Chuvash syllabotonic poetry. Dimitri Isayev (1905–1930) - prolific writer and literary critic. Ille Tuktaš (1907–1957) - Chuvash writer, poet and folklorist, author of the anthem of Chuvashia. Anat Serep