Tchaikovsky
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Karl von Meck (1821–1876)

Karl von Meck

Engineer and army officer (b. 22 June/4 July 1821; d. 26 January/7 February 1876 in Moscow), born Karl Fedorovich von Meck (Карл Федорович фон Мекк, Karl Fedorovič fon Mekk, Karl Fyodorovich fon Mekk), also known as Otto Georg Karl von Meck.

Born into a Baltic German family, Karl was the only son of Otto Adam von Meck (1790–1830), a customs official, and his wife Wilhelmina (b. Hofferberg). On 14/26 January 1848 he married Nadezhda Frolovskaia (1831–1894), and they had eleven children: Elizaveta (1848–1907); Aleksandra (1850–1920); Vladimir (1852–1892); Iuliia (1853–1915); Lidiia (1855–ca.1910); Nikolai (1863–1929); Aleksandr (1864–1912); Sof'ia (1867–1936); Maksimillian (1869–ca.1950); Mikhail (1871–1883); and Liudmila (1872–1946).

After Karl's death, his widow Nadezhda became Tchaikovsky's close friend and patroness (from 1876 to 1890), and their son Nikolai married the composer's niece, Anna, in 1884.