This painting made from a photograph depicts the composer’s father, Ilya Tchaikovsky. He was the youngest son in the family of the Vyatka mayor who had studied medicine. At the age of 13, the boy went to study at the Izhevsk plant — under direct supervision of the head of the Goroblagodatsky, Perm, and Kama plants, Andrey Deryabin. That’s where Ilya learned the basics of mining, to which he devoted his entire life.
In 1817, IlyA Tchaikovsky graduated from the St. Petersburg Mining Cadet Corps with honors and received a big silver medal. He returned to his native land many years later, as an expert in mining, with extensive teaching experience. In January 1839, he was appointed head of mining at the Kama-Votkinsk Plant. During the years of service, Tchaikovsky was awarded the Orders of Saint StanIslaus and Saint Anna, second degree; he witnessed the start of mechanical engineering.
Ilya was married three times. His first wife was Maria Kaizer. In 1829, she gave birth to their daughter ZinaIda. Tchaikovsky became a widower in the early 1830s, and on October 1, 1833, he married Alexandra Assier, the future composer’s mother. Their marriage was happy: the couple treated each other with kind feelings. They had five sons and a daughter. They all became rather well-known people at the time. After more than 20 years of marriage, Ilya Tchaikovsky became a widower for the second time. He got married for the third time at the age of 70, to Elizaveta Alexandrova, née Lipport.
Ilya Tchaikovsky devoted the last five years of his service to educating and training engineering personnel as director of the St. Petersburg Institute of Technology. He was awarded the Order of Saint Vladimir, third degree, for merit to the Fatherland. Ilya died on January 9, 1880, at the age of 85.
It’s fair to say that Ilya Tchaikovsky was a picture-perfect family man and parent. He played a huge role in the fate of his talented son Pyotr, who got his faith in people’s best qualities, love for life, and dedication to hard work from his father. The atmosphere that he and Alexandra Assier created at their family home helped uncover the future composer’s musical skills quite early.
In 1817, IlyA Tchaikovsky graduated from the St. Petersburg Mining Cadet Corps with honors and received a big silver medal. He returned to his native land many years later, as an expert in mining, with extensive teaching experience. In January 1839, he was appointed head of mining at the Kama-Votkinsk Plant. During the years of service, Tchaikovsky was awarded the Orders of Saint StanIslaus and Saint Anna, second degree; he witnessed the start of mechanical engineering.
Ilya was married three times. His first wife was Maria Kaizer. In 1829, she gave birth to their daughter ZinaIda. Tchaikovsky became a widower in the early 1830s, and on October 1, 1833, he married Alexandra Assier, the future composer’s mother. Their marriage was happy: the couple treated each other with kind feelings. They had five sons and a daughter. They all became rather well-known people at the time. After more than 20 years of marriage, Ilya Tchaikovsky became a widower for the second time. He got married for the third time at the age of 70, to Elizaveta Alexandrova, née Lipport.
Ilya Tchaikovsky devoted the last five years of his service to educating and training engineering personnel as director of the St. Petersburg Institute of Technology. He was awarded the Order of Saint Vladimir, third degree, for merit to the Fatherland. Ilya died on January 9, 1880, at the age of 85.
It’s fair to say that Ilya Tchaikovsky was a picture-perfect family man and parent. He played a huge role in the fate of his talented son Pyotr, who got his faith in people’s best qualities, love for life, and dedication to hard work from his father. The atmosphere that he and Alexandra Assier created at their family home helped uncover the future composer’s musical skills quite early.
