The gypsy romance, full of passion and emotion, has always been popular among Russian listeners, and many of its performers became known even beyond the country's borders. It was a time when large sums of money were spent on the sounds of gypsy romances. One of the most famous performers of this genre was Varvara Vasilyevna Panina, whose performances attracted regulars of popular Moscow restaurants. Her songs touched the hearts of listeners, and her mastery of performance evoked delight.

Varvara Panina, born Vasilyeva, was born in 1872 into a family of gypsy horse traders. Despite her difficult surroundings, she was passionate about music from a young age and began singing in a well-known gypsy choir at the age of 14. Although she could have remained in a mid-level establishment, a fortunate marriage and useful connections allowed her to move to the famous Moscow restaurant 'Yar'. Here she performed in front of notable figures such as Fyodor Shalyapin and Grigori Rasputin, as well as representatives of the creative elite. This marked her first major success.

In 1902, Varvara Panina had the opportunity to perform on the stage of the Noble Assembly in the capital, which was a significant achievement and elevated her beyond the status of a restaurant singer. From then on, she sang only on stage, leaving her work in restaurants behind. Her popularity was immense, and she was admired by well-known figures such as Korovin and Kuprin, as well as members of the royal family. It seemed that her career would be long, but in 1911 she unexpectedly fell ill and passed away on June 10. Varvara Panina was buried at Vagan'kovskoye Cemetery, and more than fifty of her recordings have survived to this day. Notably, until 1917, one of the streets in Moscow bore her name, which was a rare recognition for a singer of that time.