Russian Soviet Opera singer (mezzo-soprano). She graduated from the Moscow architectural Institute (1948) and the Moscow Conservatory (1953, L. Savransky's vocal class). in 1956-1988-soloist of the Bolshoi theatre (Moscow). She became famous for performing Opera parts of Carmen in Bizet's "Carmen", Lyubasha in Rimsky-Korsakov's "The Tsar's bride", Nilovny in Khrennikov's "Mother", Marfa in Moussorgsky's "Khovanshchina", Helen in Prokofie's "War and peace", Lyubava in Rimsky-Korsakov's "Sadko", Polina and Countess in Tchaikovsky's "The Queen of Spades". Since 1975 she taught at the Moscow Conservatory (since 1984 – Professor). She was a member of the jury of many prestigious competitions in the world, since 1967 she was the permanent Chairman of the jury of the Glinka Competition, since 1974 (except 1994) – Chairman of the jury of the Tchaikovsky Competition in the category "solo singing". Since 1986 - Chairman of the all-Union musical society. She was named People's artist of the USSR (1966), Hero of socialist labor (1984), winner of the Lenin prize (1978), the state prize of the Russian Federation (1997).
