Tchaikovsky
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Konstantin Tarnovskii

Russian writer, dramatist and translator (b. 1826; d. 1892), born Konstantin Avgustovich Tarnovskii (Константин Августович Тарновский, Konstantin Avgustovič Tarnovskij, Konstantin Augustovich Tarnovsky); also known by the pseudonyms Semen Raiskii (Семен Райский, Semen Rajskij, Semyon Raysky) and Evstrafii Berendeev (Евстафий Берендеев, Evstafii Berendeev, YevstafyBerendeyev).

Tarnovskii graduated from Moscow University, and became secretary to the board of the Moscow Imperial Theatres, and later inspector of repertory. Tarnovskii wrote and adapted up to 150 plays under his own name and the pseudonyms Raiskii and Berendeev. From 1855 he was assistant director of repertory and secretary to the director of the Imperial Theatres in Moscow, He met Tchaikovsky in the mid–1860s through their mutual friend Nikolai Rubinstein.

Tarnovskii wrote several songs and vaudevilles, and numerous review articles in the Russian, French and German press.