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Aleksandra Il'inichna Davydova

Апександра Ильинична Давыдова

Sister of the composer (to whom she was known as "Sasha"), born Aleksandra Il'inivhna TCHAIKOVSKAIA (Чайковская) on 28 December 1841/9 January 1842 at Votkinsk (Viatka province), Russia. She was the fourth child of  Il'ia Petrovich TCHAIKOVSKY and his wife Aleksandra Andreevna (b. ASSIER).

On 6/18 November 1860 she married Lev Vasil'evich DAVYDOV (1837-96), and they had seven children:

  1. Tat'iana L'vovna DAVYDOVA (1861-1887)
  2. Vera L'vovna DAVYDOVA (1863-1888)
  3. Anna L'vovna DAVYDOVA (1864-1942)
  4. Natal'ia L'vovna DAVYDOVA (1868-1956)
  5. Dmitrii L'vovich DAVYDOV (1870-1929)
  6. Vladimir L'vovich DAVYDOV (1871-1906)
  7. Iurii L'vovich DAVYDOV (1877-1965)

Tchaikovsky spent a great deal of time with the Davydov family on their estates at Kamenka and Brailov, where many of his works were composed.

Following a long period of ill-health, Aleksandra died on 28 March/9 April 1891 at Kamenka. She was buried next to her daughter Tat'iana in the cemetery at the Aleksandr Nevskii Monastery in Saint Petersburg, although neither grave site has survived.

Tchaikovsky's Valse-scherzo for piano, Op. 7 (1870) is dedicated to Aleksandra.