People's Artist

People's Artist is an honorary title in the Soviet Union, Union republics, in some other Eastern bloc states (and communist states in general), as well as in a number of post-Soviet states, modeled after the title of the People's Artist of the USSR.

The term is confusingly used to translate two different Russian language titles: "народный артист" (awarded in performing arts, see e.g., Category:People's Artists of the USSR) and "народный художник" (awarded in some visual arts: painting drawing, and photography, see e.g., Category:People's Artists of the USSR (visual arts)). Both titles are awarded for exceptional achievements in the corresponding arts.

Some other arts gave rise special titles: People's Architect, People's Writer, People's Poet.

In Vietnam the abbreviation NSND (Nghệ sĩ Nhân dân) is used. This is Vietnam's top artistic award for a living artist - second only to the often posthumous Ho Chi Minh Prize. The youngest ever recipient was the Russian trained opera soprano Le Dung in 1993. The lesser award of Meritorious Artist is abbreviated NSƯT.

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