Irina Arkhipova
Irina Konstantinovna Arkhipova (Vetoshkina, 2 January 192511 February 2010) was a Soviet and Russian mezzo-soprano, and later contralto, opera singer. She sang leading roles first in Russia at the Sverdlovsk Opera and the Bolshoi Theatre, and then throughout Europe and in the United States. People's Artist of the USSR (1966) and Hero of Socialist Labour (1984).
Also recorded as Irina Konstantinovna Arkhipova
Irina Arkhipova

Anatoliy Garanin / Анатолий Гаранин · RIA Novosti archive, image #581479 / Anatoliy Garanin / CC-BY-SA 3.0 · RIA Novosti archive, image #581479, http: 6x6 slide / 6х6 слайд · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Name
- Irina Arkhipova
- Birth Name
- Irina Konstantinovna Vetoshkina
- Born
- 2 January 1925
- Birthplace
- Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
- Died
- 11 February 2010
- Place of death
- Moscow, Russia
- Occupation
- Singer (mezzo-soprano, contralto)
- Full name
- Ирина Константиновна Ветошкина.
- Nationality
- Soviet Union and Russia.
- Fields
- opera.
- Education
- Moscow Conservatory and Moscow Architectural Institute.
- Honours
- Order of Lenin, Hero of Socialist Labour, People's Artist of the USSR, Polish Cultural Merit Order, Order For Merit to the Fatherland, 2nd class and Order of the Red Banner of Labour.
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Irina Konstantinovna Arkhipova (Vetoshkina, 2 January 192511 February 2010) was a Soviet and Russian mezzo-soprano, and later contralto, opera singer. She sang leading roles first in Russia at the Sverdlovsk Opera and the Bolshoi Theatre, and then throughout Europe and in the United States. People's Artist of the USSR (1966) and Hero of Socialist Labour (1984).
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Irina Arkhipova (1925–2010) was a music educator, musician and opinion journalist, among other activities, of Russian and Soviet nationality. The music educator was born Ирина Константиновна Ветошкина in Moscow and died in Moscow.
Irina Arkhipova was educated at Moscow Architectural Institute and Moscow Conservatory. The music educator worked for Moscow Conservatory.
The work spans opera. Languages used include Russian. Honours include Hero of Socialist Labour, Order of Lenin and Order of the Red Banner of Labour, among others.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 27 September 2026
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wikidata · Q272421 · wikipedia · Irina Arkhipova
In this article
Biography
Biography
Irina Arkhipova studied at Moscow Conservatory and Moscow Architectural Institute. The recorded working language is Russian. Subjects and genres recorded for the work are opera. Employment is recorded with Moscow Conservatory. Positions recorded include deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union. Distinctions recorded are Order of Lenin, Hero of Socialist Labour, People's Artist of the USSR and Polish Cultural Merit Order.
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Irina Arkhipova • Birth Name — Irina Konstantinovna Vetoshkina • Born — 2 January 1925 • Birthplace — Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union • Died — 11 February 2010 • Place of death — Moscow, Russia • Occupation — Singer (mezzo-soprano, contralto)
Biography
Biography
• Illustration — Arkhipova on a 2012 Russian stamp Irina Arkhipova was born in Moscow. Before switching to voice, she studied architecture at the Moscow Architectural Institute, graduating in 1948. She then studied at the Moscow Conservatory. In 1954 she debuted in Sverdlovsk, and was made a member of the Bolshoi Theatre in 1956. She became a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in 1963 and was named a People's Artist of the USSR in 1966. Arkhipova was at the height of her career in the 1960s and 1970s, during which time she was an international star, interpreting both Russian and Italian repertoire. Her technique was irreproachable, and she had great expressive power. She has been compared with Christa Ludwig. One of her most celebrated roles is as Marfa in Khovanshchina by Modest Mussorgsky, as recorded with Boris Khaykin in 1972. At the age of 72, Arkhipova finally made a belated Metropolitan Opera debut in March 1997 as Filipyevna in Eugene Onegin. She died in Moscow on 11 February 2010, at age 85, and is buried at Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow.
Identity
Identity
Irina Arkhipova is recorded as having received Order of Lenin, Hero of Socialist Labour and People's Artist of the USSR. Irina Arkhipova is recorded as music educator, politician, opinion journalist, singer and musician. Recorded at birth as Ирина Константиновна Ветошкина. Recognition and collections. Arkhipova received Order of Lenin, Hero of Socialist Labour, People's Artist of the USSR, Polish Cultural Merit Order, Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 2nd class and Order of the Red Banner of Labour.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1925
Irina Arkhipova born at Moscow.
2010
Irina Arkhipova died at Moscow.
Repertoire
• Giuseppe Verdi • Aida (Amneris) • Don Carlos (Eboli) • Il trovatore (Azucena) • Un ballo in maschera (Ulrica) • Falstaff (Meg Page) • Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky • Eugene Onegin (Filippyevna) • The Maid of Orleans (Joan of Arc) • The Queen of Spades (Countess) • Mazeppa (Lyubov) • The Enchantress (Princess Yevpraksiya Romanovna) • Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov • The Tsar's Bride (Lyubasha) • Sadko (Lyubava Buslayevna) • The Snow Maiden (Spring Beauty) • Sergei Prokofiev • War and Peace (Hélène) • The Story of a Real Man (Klaudiya Michailovna) • Modest Mussorgsky • Boris Godunov (Marina) • Khovanshchina (Marfa) • Alexander Dargomyzhsky • The Stone Guest (Laura) • Richard Wagner • Das Rheingold (Fricka) • Georges Bizet • Carmen (Carmen) • Jules Massenet • Werther (Charlotte) • Pietro Mascagni • Cavalleria rusticana (Santuzza) • Christoph Willibald Gluck • Iphigénie en Aulide (Clytemnestra) • Tikhon Khrennikov • Mother (Nilovna) • Vano Muradeli • October (Countess)
Honours and awards
• Illustration — Arkhipova receiving the Order of St. Andrew • Hero of Socialist Labour (Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of 29 December 1984) • Order of St. Andrew (2 January 2005) – for outstanding contributions to the development of domestic and world music, many years of creative and social activities • Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 2nd class (30 December 30, 1999) – for outstanding achievements in the field of culture and great contributions to the development of a national songwriting [8] • Three Orders of Lenin (1971, 25 May 1976) • Order of the Red Banner of Labour (1971) • Medal of Pushkin (4 June 1999) – to mark the 200th anniversary of Pushkin for services in the field of culture, education, literature and art • Medal "In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin" (1970) • Diploma of the President of the Russian Federation (2 January 2010) – for great contribution to music education [10] • Order of Saint Olga, 2nd class (Russian Orthodox Church, 2000) • Order of the Republic (Moldova) (2000) • Cross of Saint Michael of Tver (2000) • Badge of Honour "For mercy and charity" (2000) • Badge of Honour "For services to Polish culture" • Honour of St. Luke – culture of the Yaroslavl region. • Lenin Prize (1978) – for her performances as Azucena in Verdi's opera "Il Trovatore," and Lyubava in Rimsky-Korsakov's "Sadko," as well as concerts in recent years • State Prize of the Russian Federation (1996) • Russian opera prize "Casta diva" (1999) • Prize in Moscow (2000) • Prizes and medals Rachmaninov • World of Art Award (established by the corporation "Marisha Art Management International") – "Diamond Lira" and the title "Goddess of Art" (1996) • Honored Artist of the RSFSR (1959) • People's Artist of the RSFSR (1961) • People's Artist of the USSR (1966) • People's Artist of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan • People's Artist of the Republic of Bashkortostan (1994) • Honored Artist of Udmurtia • Honorary Doctor of the Moldovan National Academy of Music (1998) • Honorary Doctor of RCTU (2001) • Professor of Moscow State Conservatory Arkhipova was entered into the Russian Book of Records as the most titled Russian singer. Minor planet number 4424 was named "Arkhipova," in 1995.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.The Soviet Union, A Biographical Dictionary, Macmillan, NY, 1991.
- 2.Death of Irina Arkhipova Tributes.com. 11 February 2010. Retrieved 11 February 2010
Bibliography printed in the source article · 1
- Rosenthal, H. and Warrack, J. (eds.), "Arkhipova, Irina", The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Opera, 2nd Edition, Oxford University Press, 1979. p. 18.
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