The portrait depicts Andrey d’Assier, the maternal grandfather of composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky. The reproduction of the original portrait was made by artist Pyotr Strakhov.
In 1778, the notable French sculptor who worked in Germany, Michel Victor Acier, and the daughter of an Austrian officer, Maria Christina Eleonora Wittig, had a son, who was baptized in the Meissen church Frauenkirche under the name Michael Heinrich Maximilian Acier. At the age of 17, Michael moved from Meissen to St. Petersburg. Soon he began teaching German and French at the Artillery and Engineering Gentry Cadet Corps. In 1800, he accepted Russian citizenship and became known as Andrey Mikhailovich d’Assier.
In the same year, he married the daughter of an Orthodox priest, deacon of the Sergievsky Cathedral, Ekaterina Popova. During their marriage, they had two sons, educated in the Page Corps. Mikhail, who served in the Life Grenadier Guards Regiment, died young. And Andrey, who was enlisted in the Caucasian army, rose to the rank of colonel.
In addition, the family had two daughters: Ekaterina, her married name was Alekseeva, and Alexandra, the mother of Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Assier’s first wife died in 1816, and he married a second time — to Amalia Gogel, later they welcomed their daughter Elizabeth.
In 1801, d’Assier worked as a customs officer at the Ministry of Finance. In ten years, thanks to his good knowledge of languages, a sharp mind, and family connections, he managed to achieve a high position in society. For more than 30 years, d’Assier served as an official who dealt with especially important affairs in the Department of Foreign Trade.
In 1810, he was awarded the Order of Saint Vladimir (4th Class), and in 1818, the Order of St. Anne (2nd class). Assier’s dedicated and honest service was reported personally to Emperor Alexander I. Assier was never “on vacation”, repeatedly went to remote custom offices “from Riga to Turkey”, and fought against “fake branding of goods”. Andrey d’Assier retired with the rank of an Active State Councilor, which in the Table of Ranks was equal to the one of Major-General in the Army.
In 1778, the notable French sculptor who worked in Germany, Michel Victor Acier, and the daughter of an Austrian officer, Maria Christina Eleonora Wittig, had a son, who was baptized in the Meissen church Frauenkirche under the name Michael Heinrich Maximilian Acier. At the age of 17, Michael moved from Meissen to St. Petersburg. Soon he began teaching German and French at the Artillery and Engineering Gentry Cadet Corps. In 1800, he accepted Russian citizenship and became known as Andrey Mikhailovich d’Assier.
In the same year, he married the daughter of an Orthodox priest, deacon of the Sergievsky Cathedral, Ekaterina Popova. During their marriage, they had two sons, educated in the Page Corps. Mikhail, who served in the Life Grenadier Guards Regiment, died young. And Andrey, who was enlisted in the Caucasian army, rose to the rank of colonel.
In addition, the family had two daughters: Ekaterina, her married name was Alekseeva, and Alexandra, the mother of Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Assier’s first wife died in 1816, and he married a second time — to Amalia Gogel, later they welcomed their daughter Elizabeth.
In 1801, d’Assier worked as a customs officer at the Ministry of Finance. In ten years, thanks to his good knowledge of languages, a sharp mind, and family connections, he managed to achieve a high position in society. For more than 30 years, d’Assier served as an official who dealt with especially important affairs in the Department of Foreign Trade.
In 1810, he was awarded the Order of Saint Vladimir (4th Class), and in 1818, the Order of St. Anne (2nd class). Assier’s dedicated and honest service was reported personally to Emperor Alexander I. Assier was never “on vacation”, repeatedly went to remote custom offices “from Riga to Turkey”, and fought against “fake branding of goods”. Andrey d’Assier retired with the rank of an Active State Councilor, which in the Table of Ranks was equal to the one of Major-General in the Army.
