It seems that the echo of Feodor Chaliapin’s voice still resides in the estate on Novinsky Boulevard, where he often gave improvised concerts for friends and fans. Alongside the echo lives the witness to these performances and Chaliapin’s faithful companion — the C. Bechstein grand piano, a present from the singer’s St. Petersburg fans.

On March 26, 1913, Feodor Chaliapin performed solo at the Concert Hall of St. Petersburg Assembly of the Nobility (now the Bolshoi Zal [Great Hall] of the St. Petersburg Academic Philharmonia named after Dmitri Shostakovich), accompanied by Feodor Koenemann and the St. Petersburg Vocal Quartet. The program included Russian folk songs, romances, among which were “We Met Yesterday” by Sergei Rachmaninoff and “The Seminarist” by Modest Mussorgsky.

After the performance, Feodor Chaliapin received the C. Bechstein grand piano as a gift. On its silver plaque it said:

C. Bechstein is a famous German manufacturer of pianos and grand pianos that was founded by Karl Bechstein in 1853. Bechstein grand pianos were of the highest quality. For many decades such famous composers as Franz Liszt, Richard Wagner and Claude Debussy gave their preference to Bechstein grand pianos. Russian musicians also highly appreciated this brand: Alexander Scriabin, Alexander Glazunov, and Alexander Goldenweiser.

Sergei Rachmaninoff often sat down at the piano on display, showing Chaliapin his new works, sometimes he began to play as if to himself, so profoundly and beautifully that everybody froze in silence listening to his music.

Feodor Koenemann often came to Chaliapin’s house on Novinsky Boulevard. He was Chaliapin’s accompanist for almost a quarter of a century. The outstanding dramatic actor Maxim Strauch said:

Chaliapin spent a lot of time rehearsing, going back repeatedly to the same piece.