“Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy, once walking around a traveling exhibition, said: “Why are you all scolding Volkov, don’t you like him? He’s like a man: his voice is clumsy, and he’s dressed unpretentiously, but he’s screaming a truly healthy song, and with love, and all you need is a dandy in a tailcoat and an aria with tricks.” Perhaps that’s how it was…”