Obituary for Lydia Small
Lydia Nikolskaya Small passed away in her sleep on Monday, February 15th.
She was 88 years old, and lived for 48 years in Wappingers Falls, NY, before moving into an assisted living facility.
Lydia was born in Stalingrad (now Volgograd) in the USSR to Raisa and Pavel Nikolsky on March 2, 1932. When Lydia was 10 years old, Stalingrad came under heavy bombardment during WWII and with no other choice to survive, she and her family crossed the front lines on October 14th via the Ukraine and into allied occupied Germany. After 10 years in various relocation camps, the family came to the United States in the early 1950's, and settled on the Lower East Side in NY. While still in Germany, Lydia already displayed great vocal talent but much to her dismay, was not allowed to leave the family to accept an invitation to study in Bayreuth. Instead, Lydia joined various ethnic music/dance groups and began singing in the Russian Orthodox Church. This was to be her music education. Upon arriving in NY, Lydia was immediately invited to join the NY Russian Orthodox Cathedral Choirs first as a singer and then as featured soloist. Lydia’s musical life was rounded out with participation in the emigre theater scene and a growing list of solo performances. Lydia was a well known lyric soprano in the Russian-American community first specializing in the music of Russian Classical and Popular Composers and then branching out into German and Italian repertoire as well. In the 1970’s she had two solo concerts at Carnegie Hall, and throughout her singing career also sang in NY's Little Carnegie Recital Hall, Judson Hall, Town Hall, and many other venues in the Tri - State area. Lydia knew just how to put together a recital program that always left her audience wanting more.
After living in Queens, NY in the 1960’s, the family moved upstate to Wappingers Falls. Lydia enjoyed teaching voice in the 1970’s and 80’s and was also well known and loved by the shoppers at Steinbach where she was the “Jewelry Lady”.
Lydia Nikolskaya married Walter Small in New York City in 1956. Walter was the love of Lydia’s life. They both shared a love of parties and dancing. Later in life they would sneak off for a trip to Atlantic City now and then. Having both survived the WWII, they always felt that life was to be really lived. Walter pre-deceased her in 2012. Lydia was a wonderful mother to her two children, Victor and Valentina, but nothing compared to the “Babushka” (Grandmother in Russian) that she became. Her grandchildren adored her and although she didn’t get a chance to meet her new great grandson Nicholas, became an “Oma” as of October 2020
Lydia is survived by her brother, Edward Nikolsky and wife JoAnn, son Victor Small, daughter Valentina Shatalova and husband Vasily, granddaughter Alexandra Shatalova Prior and husband Richard , grandson Andrei Shatalov, great grand-son Nicholas Prior, cousin Eugene Werner and wife Helena, nephew Mark Nikolsky and wife Genevieve God-Daughter Larissa Shmailo, niece Rita Young and husband Mel, niece Lucy Ivanoff, great niece Tanya Young, great nephew Timothy Corcoran, great niece Irena Werner, grand nephews Grant and Carter Nikoskly, “adopted” grand-daughter Katerina Shatalova.
Lydia Nikolskaya Small loved all others, and was loved by all in return.
And no one ever left her house empty-handed.
You will be missed, Lydia!
To commemorate Lydia’s musical roots in Russian Orthodox church music and to help continue educating singers in this ancient and unique service in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to:
Lydia Nikolskaya Memorial Scholarship/ Synodal School of Liturgical Music. The school has been educating Church Musicians for 30 years and this scholarship will be used specifically for vocal lessons that are given during the two week summer sessions.
~Do Donate via Paypal:The Paypal ID is Synodal School of Liturgical Music Limited (if you need to include an e mail, please use: irishenka.2008@gmail.com).
~Checks payable to: Synodal School of Liturgical Music Limited
c/o Irina du Quenoy
2560 S. Ocean Blvd, #402
Palm Beach, FL, 33480
Please make a note that you are donating towards the Lydia Nikolskaya scholarship fund.
Due to the ongoing Pandemic, services will be private.
She was 88 years old, and lived for 48 years in Wappingers Falls, NY, before moving into an assisted living facility.
Lydia was born in Stalingrad (now Volgograd) in the USSR to Raisa and Pavel Nikolsky on March 2, 1932. When Lydia was 10 years old, Stalingrad came under heavy bombardment during WWII and with no other choice to survive, she and her family crossed the front lines on October 14th via the Ukraine and into allied occupied Germany. After 10 years in various relocation camps, the family came to the United States in the early 1950's, and settled on the Lower East Side in NY. While still in Germany, Lydia already displayed great vocal talent but much to her dismay, was not allowed to leave the family to accept an invitation to study in Bayreuth. Instead, Lydia joined various ethnic music/dance groups and began singing in the Russian Orthodox Church. This was to be her music education. Upon arriving in NY, Lydia was immediately invited to join the NY Russian Orthodox Cathedral Choirs first as a singer and then as featured soloist. Lydia’s musical life was rounded out with participation in the emigre theater scene and a growing list of solo performances. Lydia was a well known lyric soprano in the Russian-American community first specializing in the music of Russian Classical and Popular Composers and then branching out into German and Italian repertoire as well. In the 1970’s she had two solo concerts at Carnegie Hall, and throughout her singing career also sang in NY's Little Carnegie Recital Hall, Judson Hall, Town Hall, and many other venues in the Tri - State area. Lydia knew just how to put together a recital program that always left her audience wanting more.
After living in Queens, NY in the 1960’s, the family moved upstate to Wappingers Falls. Lydia enjoyed teaching voice in the 1970’s and 80’s and was also well known and loved by the shoppers at Steinbach where she was the “Jewelry Lady”.
Lydia Nikolskaya married Walter Small in New York City in 1956. Walter was the love of Lydia’s life. They both shared a love of parties and dancing. Later in life they would sneak off for a trip to Atlantic City now and then. Having both survived the WWII, they always felt that life was to be really lived. Walter pre-deceased her in 2012. Lydia was a wonderful mother to her two children, Victor and Valentina, but nothing compared to the “Babushka” (Grandmother in Russian) that she became. Her grandchildren adored her and although she didn’t get a chance to meet her new great grandson Nicholas, became an “Oma” as of October 2020
Lydia is survived by her brother, Edward Nikolsky and wife JoAnn, son Victor Small, daughter Valentina Shatalova and husband Vasily, granddaughter Alexandra Shatalova Prior and husband Richard , grandson Andrei Shatalov, great grand-son Nicholas Prior, cousin Eugene Werner and wife Helena, nephew Mark Nikolsky and wife Genevieve God-Daughter Larissa Shmailo, niece Rita Young and husband Mel, niece Lucy Ivanoff, great niece Tanya Young, great nephew Timothy Corcoran, great niece Irena Werner, grand nephews Grant and Carter Nikoskly, “adopted” grand-daughter Katerina Shatalova.
Lydia Nikolskaya Small loved all others, and was loved by all in return.
And no one ever left her house empty-handed.
You will be missed, Lydia!
To commemorate Lydia’s musical roots in Russian Orthodox church music and to help continue educating singers in this ancient and unique service in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to:
Lydia Nikolskaya Memorial Scholarship/ Synodal School of Liturgical Music. The school has been educating Church Musicians for 30 years and this scholarship will be used specifically for vocal lessons that are given during the two week summer sessions.
~Do Donate via Paypal:The Paypal ID is Synodal School of Liturgical Music Limited (if you need to include an e mail, please use: irishenka.2008@gmail.com).
~Checks payable to: Synodal School of Liturgical Music Limited
c/o Irina du Quenoy
2560 S. Ocean Blvd, #402
Palm Beach, FL, 33480
Please make a note that you are donating towards the Lydia Nikolskaya scholarship fund.
Due to the ongoing Pandemic, services will be private.