Dmitry Usatov was an outstanding Russian opera singer (tenor) and music pedagogue. Born in 1847 near Saint Petersburg. As a child, he sang in a choir. He received his professional education at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory. The singer began his stage career in 1873 in private opera companies, performing in Kharkov, Kiev, Kazan, and other cities. He gained wide recognition in Pyotr Medvedev's troupe. From 1880 to 1889, he was a soloist at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, where he successfully debuted in the operas "Faust" and "Aida". It was Usatov who became the first performer at the Bolshoi Theatre of several iconic roles: Lensky in "Eugene Onegin" (1881), Eleazar in "The Maccabees" (1883), Andrei in "Mazeppa" (1884), and Vakula in "Cherevichki" (1887). After retiring from the stage, Usatov dedicated himself to pedagogy. He taught in Tbilisi, where in 1892–1893 his student was Fyodor Shalyapin. Recognizing the young man's immense talent and difficult financial situation, Usatov gave him free lessons and later helped him secure engagements. He spent his final years in Yalta, continuing to teach singing. The Bakhrushin Theatre Museum's online collection features a letter from Dmitry Usatov to Pavel Pchelnikov (manager of the Moscow Imperial Theatres' office and school) mentioning Feodor Chaliapin, as well as photographs, posters, and other materials related to the singer.