Russian painter and watercolorist David Aizman (1869–1922), Russian-Jewish novelist and playwright Mykola Arkas (1853–1909), Ukrainian composer and historian Isaak Babel (1894–1940), journalist and writer, spent part of his childhood in Mykolaiv Paul A. Baran (1909–1964), American Marxist economist Sy Bartlett (1900–1978), Ukrainian American author and screenwriter/producer of Hollywood films Yurii Biriukov (born 1974), Ukrainian businessman, politician and founder of Phoenix Wings Georgy Brusilov (1884–1914?), Arctic explorer Art Hodes (1904–1993), jazz pianist born in Mykolaiv, emigrated to Chicago as a child Svetlana Ischenko (born 1969), poet, stage actress, teacher and artist Boris Kamensky (1870–1949), an Imperial Russian violinist Vitaliy Kim (born 1981), businessman and politician, the Governor of Mykolaiv Oblast since 2020 Vsevolod Kniaziev (born 1979), Ukrainian judge and lawyer Stepan Makarov (1849–1904), commander of the Imperial Russian Navy, oceanographer, and author Max Maltzman (1899–1971), American architect noted during the Art Deco era Larisa Matveyeva (born 1969), poet, novelist, playwright and translator Yuri Nosenko (1927–2008), KGB defector, born in Mykolaiv Maria Orska (1893–1930), actress of the German theater and cinema in the 1920s Galina Petrova (1920–1943), a medic and Chief Petty Officer in the Black Sea Fleet during WWII Pinkhus Rovner (1875–1919), Jewish Ukrainian Bolshevik revolutionary Serhiy Ryzhkov (1958–2017), Ukrainian constructor, ecologist and academic professor Chana Schneerson (1880–1964), mother of the seventh Chabad-Lubavitch Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson (1902–1994), the Chabad-Lubavitch Rebbe, born in Mykolaiv and lived there until 1909 Aleksandra Sokolovskaya (1872–1938), Russian Marxist revolutionary and Leon Trotsky's first wife African Spir (1837–1890), philosopher, studied in Mykolaiv Iryna Sysoyenko (born 1982), Ukrainian politician and lawyer Leon Trotsky (1879–1940), revolutionary, studied in Mykolaiv Konstantin Umansky (1902–1945), Soviet diplomat, editor, journalist and artist Vladimir Vasilyev (born 1967), Russian science fiction writer and musician Pyotr Veinberg (1831–1908), Russian poet, translator, journalist and literary historian Oleg Voloshyn (born 1981), Russian-Ukrainian journalist, political pundit, and former government official Sergei Zakharov (1950–2019), Russian singer with a rare lyrical baritone Larisa Matveyeva (born 1969), writer and translator Sport Valeriy Dymo (born 1985) – Ukrainian swimmer who competed in the 2004, 2008 and the 2012 Summer Olympics Olha Kharlan (born 1990) – fencer; European, world, and Olympic champion in sabre Olena Khomrova (born 1987) – Ukrainian fencer, team gold medallist in sabre at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Oleksiy Sereda (born 2005) – Ukrainian diver. At age 13, he was the 2019 European champion in the 10 metre platform event, the youngest ever to win