He was a machine engineer in 1938, and joined the Alexandrov Ensemble in the same year. He had possibly started recording by 1936. He was already known as "Mr Kalinka" before World War II.
Apparently when he sang to entertain the Soviet troops at the Eastern Front in World War II, the Germans on the other side stopped shooting to listen. The German appreciation of Nikitin did not end there. At the Alexandrov Ensemble August 1948 Peace Concert, he sang encores of Kalinka and received high praise for his singing. Before the concert he had bought a book of 10 Germanfolk songs, and then persuaded Boris Alexandrov and the Soviet commanders to let him sing some of them in German. This would be seen by the German audience as a great commitment to peace. In a photograph taken from the back of the choir at the time, you can see some of the 30,000-strong audience with the destroyed city as a backdrop. You can just see the flowers along the front of the stage, and to the left of the photo, standing in front of the balalaika players is a young soloist, perhaps waiting for Boris to indicate the start of his song. This is the scene which Nikitin, the choir and the orchestra saw on that day in 1948. A 1985 Radio DDR recording exists of part of this 1948 Berlin concert. Nikitin sang Im Schönsten Wiesengrunde, Ich Freue Mich Ihnen Mein Lied Zu Singen and Kalinka. In connection with this, Nikitin was made Honoured Citizen of the German Democratic Republic. In 2007, Nikitin was still remembered by Leonid Maleev, director of the Ensemble, as the earliest "Mr Kalinka".
Return to choir
It has been rumoured that Nikitin was in disgrace after singing in German in 1948, and that this eventually ended his career in 1952; however it is now said that he simply returned to the Ensemble choir in 1952, by his own choice, due to a strained or tired voice. He continued to be popular with Stalin, who used to wave to him in a friendly manner at concerts. Nikitin could not have returned to the choir without Stalin's approval; however many relevant source-documents from this era have been destroyed.
Discography
With the Alexandrov Ensemble from 1938 to 1952 he recorded Meeting with the chief, Cold waves lapping, Samovary-samopaly duet with S. Tibaev, Red Fleet sailors , Smuglyanka, duet with N. Ustinov, Kalinka, Alas nothing to please me Prague, Come to me young laddie Prague, Nightingales , Alas nothing to please me Moscow, Come to me young laddie Prague, Troika Prague, Im schönsten Wiesengrunde Berlin,Kalinka Berlin,Heidenröslein Dresden, Evening on the waterfront solo and as duet with V.N.Katerinsky, Winter evening Prague, Down by Mother Volga. He recorded Song of my country Prague.
