Fyodor Chaliapin as Tsar Boris in Modest Mussorgsky's (1839 - 1881) opera 'Boris Godunov' at the Moscow Private Opera in 1898. The role of Tsar Boris occupies a central place in the extensive repertoire of the great Russian singer Fyodor Chaliapin. In his 'Pages from My Life' Chaliapin wrote of his work on this part, 'I liked 'Boris Godunov so much that, besides studying my own role, i used to sing the entire opera all parts, male and female from beginning to end. Supplied By: SCRSS - Society for Co-operation in Russian & Soviet Studies