Tchaikovsky
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Saint Petersburg

Saint Petersburg (Санкт-Петербург) is the second-largest city of the Russian Federation. Until 1918 it was the capital city of the Russian Empire, known from 1914 to 1924 as Petrograd (Петроград) and from 1924 to 1991 as Leningrad (Ленинград).

The Tchaikovsky family moved to Saint Petersburg from November 1848 to May 1849, before removing to Alapaevsk. However, Tchaikovsky returned to the capital in 1850 when he was enrolled at the Imperial School of Jurisprudence, and lived in the city until he moved to Moscow in January 1866. His main addresses were as follows:

• November 1848–May 1849 — living with his parents at Meniaev House, Vasil'enskii Island (Васильенский остров — дом Меняева), after moving from Votkinsk. During this period the composer and his older brother Nikolai attended the Schmelling School at 14 Bol'shoi Prospekt (Большой проспект Петербургской стороны, 14 — пансион Шмеллинга). In May 1849 the family moved to Alapaevsk.
• August 1850–May 1852 — at the preparatory classes for the Imperial School of Jurisprudence.
• May 1852–April 1853 — staying with his aunt Ekaterina Alekseeva, at 1 Kosoi Pereulok (Косой переулок)
• April 1853–May 1859 — boarding at the Imperial School of Jurisprudence, 6/2 Fontanka (Фонтанка, 6/2). During the holidays Tchaikovsky stayed with his father Il'ia at Vasil'enskii Island.
• 3/15 June 1859–May 1863 — working as a clerk at the Ministry of Justice, 1–3 Sadovaya Street (Малая Садовая, 1–3).
• September 1863–January 1866 — studying at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory, at Demidov House, Demidov Way (Демидова переулок — дом Демидова), now demolished.

Tchaikovsky never again lived permanently in Saint Petersburg, but often stayed with friends and at hotel accommodation in the city from time to time. He also died in Saint Petersburg on 25 October/6 November 1893, at the apartment of his brother Modest at 13 Malaia Morskaia (Малая морская, 13).