Nikandr Khanaev

Born May 27 (June 8), 1890, in the village of Pesochnia, in what is now Riazan’ Oblast; died July 23, 1974, in Moscow. Soviet singer (dramatic tenor). People’s Artist of the USSR (1951).

Khanaev studied at the Moscow Conservatory under L. G. Zviagina from 1921 to 1924. In 1925 he worked at the Opera Studio of the Bolshoi Theater, and from 1926 to 1954 he was a soloist with the Bolshoi Theater. Khanaev was a singer of great theatrical and musical artistry. His unique talents were particularly evident in the Russian classical repertoire, for example, as Herman in Tchaikovsky’s The Queen of Spades and in the title role of Rimsky-Korsakov’s Sadko. His other parts included Shuiskii in Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov, José in Bizet’s Carmen, the title role in Verdi’s Otello, and Grigorii Melekhov in Dzerzhinskii’s The Quiet Don. Khanaev taught at the Moscow Conservatory from 1948 to 1950.

Khanaev was awarded the State Prize of the USSR in 1943, 1949, and 1950. He also received two orders and several medals.