While on tour, at a concert in 1909, at the Nizhny Novgorod fair, she was heard by the great tenor Leonid Sobinov. He brought her to the attention of a wider public, which soon included the tsar's family as well as the opera singer Feodor Chaliapin.
While on tour, at a performance in 1909, at the Nizhny Novgorod fair, she was discovered by the renowned tenor Leonid Sobinov. He introduced her to a broader audience, which soon encompassed the tsar's family as well as the opera singer Feodor Chaliapin.