Alexander Stepanovich Pirogov was a Russian

Russians

The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....

 bass opera singer.

Pirogov was born in the village of Novosyolki, one of five sons of a musical father. Four of the five brothers became singers, most notably Grigory, also a bass.

From 1924 through 1954, he was one of the main bass soloists of the Bolshoi Theatre

Bolshoi Theatre

The Bolshoi Theatre is a historic theatre in Moscow, Russia, designed by architect Joseph Bové, which holds performances of ballet and opera. The Bolshoi Ballet and Bolshoi Opera are amongst the oldest and most renowned ballet and opera companies in the world...

 along with Mark Reizen

Mark Reizen

Mark Osipovich Reizen, also Reisen or Reyzen — died November 25, 1992 Moscow, Russia) was a leading Soviet opera singer with a beautiful and expansive bass voice.-Life and career:...

, and Maxim Mikhailov

Maxim Mikhailov

Maxim Dormidontovich Mikhailov Максим Дормидонтович Михайлов was a Russian bass.His son, Igor Mikhailov was the bass of the Bolshoi for several decades...

. He recorded under Samuil Samosud

Samuil Samosud

Samuil Abramovich Samosud |Georgia]], — Moscow, 6 November 1964) was a Russian conductor. He started his musical career on the cello, before conducting in the Mariinsky Theater, Petrograd in 1917. From 1918 to 1936 he conducted at the Maly Operny, Leningrad. In 1936 he became musical...

, Alexander Melik-Pashayev

Alexander Melik-Pashayev

Alexander Shamil'evich Melik-Pashayev was a Soviet- conductor.-External links:**...

, Aleksandr Gauk

Aleksandr Gauk

Aleksandr Vassilievich Gauk was a Russian/Soviet conductor and composer.Aleksandr Gauk was born in Odessa in 1893. He recalled his first experience as hearing army bands and his mother singing and accompanying herself at the piano...

, Nikolai Golovanov, and Vassili Nebolsin

Vassili Nebolsin

Vassili Vassilyevich Nebolsin was a Russian conductor. He studied at the college of the Moscow Philharmonic and became conductor of the orchestra in 1918. He became choir master of the Bolshoi in 1920 and its conductor in 1922. He taught at the Moscow Conservatory from 1940 to 1945...

.

In 1955, he played Boris Godunov in a film version

Boris Godunov (1954 film)

Boris Godunov is a 1954 Soviet drama film directed by Vera Stroyeva, based on the opera of the same name by Modest Mussorgsky. It was screened out of competition at the 1987 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Alexander Pirogov as Boris Godunov...

, winning a medal in Italy. In 1954 he made his only performance outside the Soviet Union singing the role of Boris Godunov in Finnish National Opera in Helsinki.