page_title: Victor Ivanovich Nikitin
section_title: Return to choir
hierarchical_section_title: Victor Ivanovich Nikitin / Return to choir
caption_attribution_description: English: Gravestone of Victor Ivanovich Nikitin (1911-1994), soloist of the Alexandrov Ensemble and the first Mr Kalinka. It is located at Pyatnitskoye cemetery in Moscow, on the Pyatnitskoye Highway.
context_page_description: Victor Ivanovich Nikitin, was a Soviet tenor soloist of the Alexandrov Ensemble, born in Syzran 12 February 1911 and died in Moscow 6 January 1994. He is notable for being the first Mr Kalinka, and for being called "Ambassador Kalinka" by Erich Mückenberger after singing at the 1948 Berlin peace concert. He was buried at Pyatnitskoye cemetery in Moscow.
context_section_description: It has been rumoured that Nikitin was in disgrace after singing in German in 1948, and that this eventually ended his career in 1952; however it is now said that he simply returned to the Ensemble choir in 1952, by his own choice, due to a strained or tired voice. He continued to be popular with Stalin, who used to wave to him in a friendly manner at concerts. Nikitin could not have returned to the choir without Stalin's approval; however many relevant source-documents from this era have been destroyed.
caption: Nikitin's gravestone
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