Once, during his debut performance, he was so nervous that he got tangled in his long robe and fell. Unable to get up, he crawled across the stage to the laughter of the audience. The director loudly expelled him from the theater. The unfortunate artist spent an entire day in some shed, feeling that the whole city knew about his embarrassment. Shyness stayed with him for life, despite his worldwide fame.

This is about Fyodor Ivanovich Shalyapin. He was born in 1873 in Kazan to a poor peasant family. From childhood, the boy accurately reproduced melodies, and he was placed as a singer in the church choir, where he began to learn the basics of music theory.

No one predicted a future for him as a great singer: little Fedya graduated from elementary school with honors and became a clerk's assistant in an office.

He could have been consumed by the paperwork routine, but by chance, he attended a performance by the Kazan Opera and became fascinated with the stage. At 16, he failed the audition for the theater but did not lose his passion for singing and joined a troupe as an extra.

The career of the talented self-taught artist quickly took off. He performed at the theater of Little Russia, the opera theater in Tbilisi, the Imperial Theater in St. Petersburg, and was personally invited to Savva Mamontov's troupe.

Shalyapin performed numerous opera roles, winning the love of the public with his powerful bass and acting skills. He earned the trust of the authorities by donating to the needs of workers.

After the revolution, Shalyapin became a People's Artist of the RSFSR and the head of the Mariinsky Theater. However, he soon went on tour in 1922 and remained abroad with his family. He was stripped of his title and the opportunity to perform in his homeland.

Shalyapin died in 1938 in Paris from cancer. Only in 1984 were his remains reburied in Moscow at Novodevichy Cemetery thanks to his son's efforts. Many historians believe that his death was orchestrated by the Soviet authorities, who eliminated the undesirable 'traitor.' However, the greatness of his figure in the world of opera remains undeniable.