Nikolay Victorovich Baskov (Russian: Николай Викторович Басков, born 15 October 1976) is a Russian tenor who performs in both operatic and popular-music styles. His honors include commendations as Meritorious Artist and People's Artist of the Russian Federation. In addition to his career as a vocalist, Baskov appears regularly on the Russian game-show What? Where? When?.
Baskov studied at the Gnessin Russian Academy of Music and Moscow Conservatory. In 1998, he placed first in the All-Russian Young Singers Competition and placed second in the 1999 Grande Voce competition in Spain.
Released in 2011, the Nikolai Baskov: Romantic Journey concert performance CD/DVD took place at Moscow's Hall of the Luzhniki Stadium. Baskov was accompanied by a full orchestra and played to a crowd of nearly 10,000 people. Taped with 24 HD cameras, this is Russia's most elaborate and expensive performance ever recorded for international television. He performed classic pieces from Tosca, La bohème, Werther, Turandot and other popular songs from his catalogue such as Be My Love, Granada and Back to Sorrento. Baskov is joined by world-renowned soprano, Montserrat Caballé, and her daughter Marti, for several duets.
In early 2012, Baskov embarked on his first American tour.
In December 2012, he signed an open letter against a St. Petersburg bill banning "homosexual propaganda," along with pop stars like Philipp Kirkorov and Dima Bilan.
In March 2022, Baskov openly supported Russia's military aggression and invasion in Ukraine. On 7 March, the Prosecutor General of Ukraine informed Baskov of suspicion of propagandizing war on the territory of Ukraine. The court arrested him in absentia. He claimed "thirty years of unprincipled deception of Russia by the West", accused the United States of trying to "destroy Russia" and said that "claims that NATO is peaceful are a lie". After these statements, the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on 24 March that Baskov would be banned from entering Latvia indefinitely.
