Stalin's Pet: Ivan Kozlovsky, the Soviet Union's Favourite Tenor – with Notes on Paul Robeson.

This article focuses on the life and career of Ivan Kozlovsky, a Kyiv-born tenor who became one of the Soviet Union's most celebrated opera singers, widely recognized as a "Russian" or "Soviet" artist during his lifetime despite his deep Ukrainian roots. Protected by Joseph Stalin, who admired his talent, Kozlovsky enjoyed a prominent career at Moscow's Bolshoi Theatre but was restricted from performing abroad due to Soviet policies. Under Nikita Khrushchev, he was able to reconnect with Ukrainian culture and intelligentsia, often performing Ukrainian folk and operatic music, which remained central to his identity. The article also explores Kozlovsky's interactions with notable figures such as African American singer Paul Robeson, highlighting their shared appreciation for Ukrainian music amid the complex political and cultural dynamics of the Soviet era. Following the Soviet Union's collapse, Kozlovsky's Ukrainian heritage gained greater recognition, and he is now celebrated as a significant figure in both Ukrainian and Soviet musical history.