Nadezhda Nikitichna Kadysheva, born on June 1, 1959, in the Mordvinian village of Gorki, Tatarstan, is a celebrated Russian folk-pop singer of Erzyan heritage. She is best known as the soloist of the band Zolotoe Koltso. Kadysheva's early life was marked by hardship; she lost her mother at the age of 10 and subsequently lived in a boarding school in Bugulma. Her singing talent was discovered there, but she initially worked at a cotton factory before pursuing formal music education.

Despite an initial rejection from the Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov College of Music, Kadysheva was admitted after completing a preparatory course. It was during her studies that she met her future husband, Aleksandr Kostyuk. They married in 1983 in San Francisco and had a son, Grigoriy, in 1984. Together, they founded the ensemble Zolotoe Koltso in 1988, gaining international recognition before becoming well-known in Russia in 1993.

Kadysheva has been honored with numerous titles, including People's Artist of Russia in 1999, People's Artist of Mordovia, and Honored Artist of Tatarstan. She received the Golden Gramophone Award in 2008 and is also an Honorary Citizen of Bugulma. In addition to her musical career, Kadysheva is a member of the United Russia party.