Nikolai Grigoryevich Tsyganov was a Russian poet, singer and actor. An avid musical folklore collector, Tsyganov became known as an author and performer of his own songs, mostly variations of the traditional ones, some of which later came to be regarded as bona fide Russian folk songs. The Russian Songs by N.Tsyganov, compiled by the author, came out posthumously, in 1834, to much critical acclaim.