List of Ossetians

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

1st row: Khetagurov • Gazdanov • Kotsoev • Abaev 2nd row: Tokaty • Gergiev • Dudarova • Taymazov

This is an incomplete list of world-famous or notable Ossetians , including both full and partial Ossetian ancestry.

Cultural

Cultural figures

• Valery Gergiev – General director and artistic director of the Mariinsky Theatre, former chief conductor of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and of the Munich Philharmonic
• Tugan Sokhiev – Russian conductor.
• Elbert Tuganov – Azerbaijani-Estonian animator and film director.

Historians and writers

• Gaito Gazdanov – Russian émigré writer of Ossetian descent
• Kosta Khetagurov – Ossetian national poet
• Arsen Kotsoev – one of the founders of Ossetic prose
• Vladimir Gagloyev – Ossetian writer, playwright and publicist
• Manana Chitishvili – Georgian poet and academic
• Elbadzuko Britayev – founder of Ossetian traditional theatre

Architects

• Vitaly Kaloyev – Russian former architect and convicted murderer

Sports

Stanislav Cherchesov

Football

• Vladimir Salbiyev – former Russian professional footballer
• Vladimir Gabulov – goalkeeper
• Ruslan Bolov – Russian professional football player
• Stanislav Cherchesov – football manager of the Kazakhstan national team
• Khetag Khosonov – Russian football player
• Shota Bibilov – professional footballer
• Artur Yelbayev – Russian former professional football player
• Zaza Eloshvili – Georgian footballer
• Artur Pagayev – association football coach

Martial Arts

• Soslan Ramonov – freestyle wrestler, 2016 Olympics gold medalist
• Ruslan Karaev – professional kickboxer
• Murat Gassiev – Russian former unified cruiserweight world champion
• Khetag Gazyumov – retired Russian and Azerbaijani freestyle wrestler, Olympic medalist
• Zelym Kotsoiev – Ukrainian-Azerbaijani judoka, 2024 Summer olympics gold medalist
• Amiran Kardanov – Russian and Greek Freestyle wrestler, 2000 Olympics bronze medalist
• Taimuraz Tigiev – Russian-Kazakhstani wrestler, 2008 Summer Olympics silver medalist
• Arsen Fadzaev – former Soviet wrestler, 1988 and 1992 Olympics gold medalist
• Makharbek Khadartsev – former Soviet wrestler, 1988 and 1992 Olympics gold medalist
• Zaurbek Sokhiev – Russian-Ossetian male freestyle wrestler
• Artur Taymazov – Uzbek-Russian wrestler and politician, 2004 Olympics gold medalist
• Soslan Tigiev – Russian-Uzbekistani wrestler
• Ibragim Aldatov – Ukrainian freestyle wrestler
• Dzhambolat Tedeyev – Russian-Ukrainian former wrestler
• Elbrus Tedeyev – Ukrainian wrestler, 2004 Olympics gold medalist
• Mirabi Valiyev – Ukrainian former wrestler
• Zaza Zazirov – former Ukrainian wrestler, 1996 Olympics bronze medalist
• Khadzhimurat Gatsalov – Russian wrestler, 2004 Olympics gold medalist
• Aslanbek Alborov – Russian former freestyle wrestler
• Vladislav Baitcaev – Russian freestyle wrestler
• Zaur Makiev – Russian former freestyle wrestler
• Artur Naifonov – Russian freestyle wrestler, 2020 Olympics bronze medalist
• Zaurbek Sidakov – Russian freestyle wrestler, 2020 Olympics gold medalist
• Diana Avsaragova – Russian mixed martial artist
• Tajmuraz Salkazanov – Slovak naturalized freestyle wrestler
• Azamat Tuskaev – Russian freestyle wrestler

Sumo wrestlers

• Hakurozan Yūta – former sumo wrestler
• Alan Karaev – Russian sumo wrestler
• Rohō Yukio – former sumo wrestler. The highest rank he achieved was komusubi
• Wakanohō Toshinori – retired Russian sumo wrestler. His highest rank was maegashira 1

Weightlifting

• Timur Taymazov – former Ossetian-Ukrainian weightlifter, 1996 Olympics gold medalist
• Arsen Kasabiev – Polish-Georgian weightlifter, 2008 Olympics silver medalist
• Alan Naniyev – Russian born Azerbaijani male weightlifter
• Tima Turieva – Russian weightlifter

Misc

• Vladislav Mirzoev – Russian pair skater
• Zarina Gizikova – Russian retired individual rhythmic gymnast
• Masha Gordon – British businesswoman, explorer and mountain climber
• Chermen Kobesov – Russian para-athlete
• Elizaveta Shanaeva – Russian competitive ice dancer.

Entrepreneurs

• Mykola Bagrayev – Ukrainian businessman and social activist
• Igor Kesaev – owner and president of the Mercury Group
• Taimuraz Bolloyev – CEO of Baltika Breweries

Politicians, Kings and activists

• Isabel Magkoeva – Russian political activist
• Znaur Gassiev – South Ossetian politician, who was one of the leaders of the South Ossetian independence movement in the early 1990s
• David Soslan ^[1] – Alanian prince, consort of Queen Tamar
• Durgulel the Great – Alanian king of the 11th century, under whom Alania reached its economic and military peak ^[2]
• Kazbek Elkanovich Tedeyev – Ukrainian prosecutor and public figure

Presidents of South Ossetia

• Lyudvig Chibirov – 1st President of South Ossetia
• Eduard Kokoity – 2nd President of South Ossetia
• Leonid Tibilov – 4th President of South Ossetia
• Anatoly Bibilov – 5th President of South Ossetia
• Alan Gagloyev – current President of South Ossetia

Military

• Sergey Khabalov – Imperial Russian Army general
• Issa Pliyev – Soviet military commander
• Kantemir Tsalikov – Red Army major general who held division and corps command during World War II
• Akhsarbek Abaev – Red Army Sergeant and Hero of the Soviet Union
• Emir Saad – Ossetian Islamist militant

Sergey Guriyev

Scholars

• Sergey Guriyev – economist, dean and a professor of economics at the London Business School, former rector at Moscow's New Economic School (NES)
• Grigori Tokaty – Soviet rocket scientist and politician
• Vasily Abaev – Soviet linguist

Artists

Film, TV, and stage

• Alec Utgoff – actor
• Alan Badoev – Ukrainian movie director
• Svetlana Adyrkhaeva – Soviet and Russian ballerina
• Zemfira Tsakhilovna – Soviet and Russian actress and teacher

Musicians and painters

• Maharbek Tuganov – Ossetian painter
• Zlata Chochieva – Russian pianist
• Alan Khadzaragov – Russian musician and rapper
• Elena Tsallagova – Russian operatic soprano
• Veronika Dudarova – Soviet and Russian conductor, the first woman to succeed as conductor of symphony orchestras in the 20th century

See also

• Ossetians
• Ossetia
• Digor people
• Jasz people

References

1. Today, Georgia (6 December 2021). "Queen Tamar and David Soslan's Story: The Georgian-Ossetian Onstage Premier". Georgia Today. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
2. "Алания от А до Я. Дургулель Великий". soigsi.com. Retrieved 11 August 2025.