Ivan Tchijevsky, Author at

Independent Historian

Ivan Tchijevsky was born in Moscow, Russia in 1982 into a musical family, and his father is a former international journalist and tango dancer. His mother’s sister worked as a vocalist in jazz and variety orchestras since the mid-60s in the USSR and his uncle was a famous saxophonist from Ukraine.

From the age of 14, Ivan began attending various musical events, collect vinyl records, produce electronic music, break-dance, and play DJ sets in clubs and hip-hop festivals. In his university student years, the main theme of his articles was currency competition, which was published in more than 10 universities in Russia.

In 2017, Ivan released an edited album entirely built on samples from 1970s and 1980 Soviet records sold mainly in Ukraine. He also recorded 9 podcasts and articles about Soviet jazz, Caucasus folk jazz, and the first Russian hip-hop artists for the French site Parisdjs.com. He also participated in public organizations including the World Public Forum Dialogue of Civilizations, ACI Russia, and the Russian Academy of Geoconomics.

Ivan’s interests now include the study of the digital market, analogue music production, the study of the new U.S. book market, and classes and practice of yoga.

George Tynes (1908-1982)

Soviet agricultural specialist and one of the first popularizers of turkey breeding in the USSR, George Tynes, was born in 1908 into a large African American family in Norfolk, Virginia. His father was a Methodist minister, and his mother was Native American. His cousin was … Read MoreGeorge Tynes (1908-1982)

Olga (Ollie) Burgoyne (1879-1974)

Olga “Ollie” Burgoyne, also known as Ollie Burgoyne-Calloway, was a singer and dancer specializing in Russian and other ethnic dances. She was also an actress and businesswoman who gained popularity during the Harlem Renaissance and left her mark as one of the most influential African … Read MoreOlga (Ollie) Burgoyne (1879-1974)

Ivan Hannibal (1737 – 1801)

Russian military leader, Chief Commander of the Kherson, and General-in-Chief, Ivan Hannibal, was the eldest of Abram Hannibal’s eleven children with Christine Regina von Sjöberg and the great-uncle of Alexander Pushkin, regarded as the father of Russian literature. Enamored of his African heritage, Pushkin wrote … Read MoreIvan Hannibal (1737 – 1801)

Emma Harris (1871-1940)

Emma Harris was a multi-talented African American cultural influencer in Europe, the Russian Empire (later the Soviet Union) as well as the Middle East. Harris was born into a poor family in Georgia on October 7, 1871. Her parents were washerwoman Sarah Green and millworker … Read MoreEmma Harris (1871-1940)

Sheikh Muhammad Ayyad al-Tantawi (1810-1861)

Egyptian Sheikh Muhammad Ayyad al-Tantawi, one of the youngest teachers of Arabic studies in Egypt (at that time the Ottoman Empire), traveled to and worked in Russia. During his residence in Russia, he was the first to compile an Arabic grammar manual in the Russian … Read MoreSheikh Muhammad Ayyad al-Tantawi (1810-1861)

Lydia Fedorovna Arkhipova (1914-1997)

Lydia Fedorovna Arkhipova was a prolific painter who achieved fame in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and abroad. She also developed her original style which challenged the major trends in Soviet-era art. Arkhipova’s father was Frederick Bruce Thomas, widely known before the Russian Revolution … Read MoreLydia Fedorovna Arkhipova (1914-1997)

Marcel Pliat (ca. 1890-1917?)

Marcel Pliat was one of several French nationals who served in the Russian Imperial Army during World War I but he was the only black man to serve in the Russian Imperial Air Force. Pliat was born in French Polynesia (now Tahiti) around 1890. His … Read MoreMarcel Pliat (ca. 1890-1917?)

The Afro-Beat in Russia: The Influence of Black Music on Russian Popular Culture, 1890-2002

In the following article, Russian DJ Ivan Tchijevsky describes exclusively for BlackPast.org the long history of black music and black musical performers in Russia. Writing from a musical festival in Odessa, Ukraine in June 2019, he outlines his views below. As I visit festivals of … Read MoreThe Afro-Beat in Russia: The Influence of Black Music on Russian Popular Culture, 1890-2002