It is hardly possible to show all manuscripts related to Tchaikovsky, stored in the National Library of Russia. Among them, for example, is his letter to the Director of the Imperial Theatres Stepan Gideonov, in which he asked when the Mariinsky Theater started the staging rehearsal process for performing his opera «Ondine» in the 1869/1870 season. Despite the promise of Gedeonov (though very vague), the opera was not staged, and subsequently, its score was destroyed by the composer. In some musicologists' studies, this letter is considered to be lost.
The National Library of Russia also keeps a set of documents dealing with the right of censorship, which Directors of the Saint Petersburg Court Capella had since the time of Dmytri Bortniansky. This right, for instance, was used by Nikolay Bakhmetev who banned to perform Pyotr Tchaikovsky's Liturgy during the divine service and arrested all its printed copies.
Noteworthy are musical autographs, not mentioned above. For example, the famous Arioso of the heroine «Why haven't I known this before?» represents the most lyric composer's opera «Iolanta». The Arioso is written in the form of the clavier, and its text is not complete. It was cut off in the mid of the sentence 'I entered into a solemn chorus'. The second half which continues the sentence is missing. The composer deliberately breaks the text, this is proved by the subsequent bar with a stroke of the pen and by his autograph signature with the date '2 November 1892. S.P.b'.
In the mid-70s, Tchaikovsky made an orchestration of Ferenc Liszt's ballad «The King in Thule». The score inscribed by hand by Pyotr Tchaikovsky is also stored in the National Library of Russia.
The library also houses memories about P. Tchaikovsky of the composer Anatoly Lyadov, the musicologist and editor of the Russian Music Newspaper Nikolay Findeisen, the dancer Maria Anderson - the first performer of the role of the Wite Cat in Tchaikovsky's ballet «The Sleeping Beauty». The notebook with Anderson's memories includes also photographs pasted in it, that reproduce the heroine of a fairy tale, who appears in the epilogue of the ballet.
The Manuscript Department possesses other materials depicting performers of the leading parts in Tchaikovsky's works for musical theater: Medea and Nikolay Figners, Leonid Sobinov, Nikolay Pechkovsky, Konstantin Serebryakov, Alexander Smirnov and others.
Concluding the review of materials related to Pyotr Tchaikovsky, stored in the National Library of Russia, we would like to recall the words written by the composer on 17 March 1878 in a letter to Nadezhda von Meck,: 'Only that music can touch, astound and affect, which flows out from the depths of the soul excited by artistic inspiration'. This Tchaikovsky's statement applies fully to his compositions. Indeed, Tchaikovsky's music fascinates, captures, astounds and, in the words of Nikolai Findeyzen who gave a fairly precise definition of its impact on the audience, 'takes high to heavens <…> above our everyday, bustling life'.
Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Photographic portrait with a dedication to Baron Rudolf Ottonovich Buxhoevden. 6 March 1891. – F. 834. P.I. Tchaikovsky, № 48.
Catalogue of P. I. Tchaikovsky's works published by P. I. Jurgenson. – F. 773. G. N. Timofeev, M. V. Janova, № 1156.
P. Jurgenson. Letter to Stasov dated to 19 December 1894. – F. 738. V. V. Stasov, № 234.
Modest Tchaikovsky. Photographic portrait with a dedication to Baron Rudolf Ottonovich Buxhoevden. 1 June1891. – F. 834. P.I. Tchaikovsky, № 49.
P.I. Tchaikovsky. Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Letter to his Aunt Elizaveta Schobert. 1848. – Ф. 834. P.I. Tchaikovsky, № 2, fols. 3.–3 v.
The house where Elizaveta Schobert's furnished rooms were located.
P.I. Tchaikovsky Letter to Frederick Dürbach. 1848. – F. 834. P.I. Tchaikovsky, № 2, fol. 5.
Maria Loginova. Maria Loginova. Variations for Piano on a Romance «Why do you become silent». – OSRK. F.XII.27, fol. 3.
Maria Loginova. Maria Loginova. Variations for Piano on a Romance «Why do you become silent». Text of the dedication to Empress Maria Alexandrovna. – OSRK F.XII.27, fol. 2.
Mark Palchikov. Cantata «Alexander! The Whole World Glorifies Your Deeds». – OSRK. F.XII.26, fol. 4 об.
Mark Palchikov. Text of the dedication to Emperor Alexander II. – OSRK. F.XII.26, fol. 2.
Mark Palchikov. Text of the dedication to Emperor Alexander II. – OSRK. F.XII.26, fol. 2 v.
Mark Palchikov. Mark Palchikov. Marsh, composed on the occasion of His Imperial Highness Duke Maximilian Leuchtenberg' visit of the city Malmyzh on 30 August 1845. Moscow, 1846. – ONIiMZ RNB. М 560-4/828.
Maria Loginova. Letter to Pyotr Tchaikovsky, dated to 22 December 1882. – F. 834. P.I. Tchaikovsky, № 38.
Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Letter to Pyotr Jurgenson, dated to 9 January 1883. – F. 834. P.I. Tchaikovsky, № 38.
Imperial School of Jurisprudence.
Vladimir Stasov – a student of the School of Jurisprudence.
Church of St. Catherine at the Imperial School of Jurisprudence.
«Bulletin of the Church of Holy Great Martyr Catherine at the Imperial School of Jurisprudence». – F. 1000. Collection of individual arrivals, op. 1, № 240, fol. 2–3.
Archpriest Mikhail Bogoslovsky.
«Bulletin of the Church of Holy Great Martyr Catherine at the Imperial School of Jurisprudence. About the clergy of the mentioned church». – F. 1000. Collection of individual arrivals, op. 1, № 240, fol. 3 v.–5
Gavrila Lomakin. – F. 816. N.F. Findeyzen, № 3555.
Gavrila Lomakin. Farewell Song [ for students of the Imperial School of Jurisprudence]. Part for treble. An authorized copy. – F. 1021. Collection of individual music arrivals, op. 2, № 67, fol. 1.
P.I. Tchaikovsky. «O Gladsome Light» based on the Kiev chant. Part for bass I. – F. 1021. Collection of individual music arrivals, оп. 1, № 8, fol. 46.
«O Gladsome Light» based on the Kiev chant in the book Irmologion for liturgical singing. 1759. – OLDP. F.510.
Vladimir Stasov. Letter to Poytr Tchaikovsky dated to 30 December 1872. – F. 384. P.I. Tchaikovsky, № 45, fol. 1.
Vladimir Stasov. Letter to Poytr Tchaikovsky dated to 30 December 1872. – F. 384. P.I. Tchaikovsky, № 45, fols. 1 v.-2.
Vladimir Stasov. Letter to Poytr Tchaikovsky dated to 30 December 1872. – F. 384. P.I. Tchaikovsky, № 45, fol. 2 v.
Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Letter to Vladimir Stasov, dated 15 January 1873. – F. 738. V. V. Stasov, № 343, fols. 1–2 v.
P.I. Tchaikovsky The Tempest. Fantasia for Grand Orchestra. Four-, three- and two-lines summary of the composition with directions for its instrumentation. – F. 834. P.I. Tchaikovsky, № 5, fol. 1.
P.I. Tchaikovsky The Tempest. Fantasia for Grand Orchestra. Four-, three- and two-lines summary of the composition with directions for its instrumentation. – F. 834. P.I. Tchaikovsky, № 5, fol. 1 v.
P.I. Tchaikovsky The Tempest. Fantasia for Grand Orchestra. Four-, three- and two-lines summary of the composition with directions for its instrumentation. – F. 834. P.I. Tchaikovsky, № 5, fol. 2.
Tchaikovsky's Monogram of 1873–1875.
Anatoly Tchaikovsky's Monogram. Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Letter to Alexey Sofronov, dated to 9 October 1878. – F. 384. P.I. Tchaikovsky, № 25, fol. 14.
Tchaikovsky's Monogram in 1876–1881.
4/16 January [1880]. Rome. Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Letter to Lev Davydov. – F. 384. P.I. Tchaikovsky, № 19, fol. 23.
19/31 January 1882. Rome. Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Letter to Leonty Tkachenko. – F. 384. P.I. Tchaikovsky, № 29, fol. 10.
10 August. Kamenka. Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Letter to Leonty Tkachenko. – F. 384. P.I. Tchaikovsky, № 29, fol. 4.
6 May 1882. Kamenka. Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Letter to Leonty Tkachenko. – F. 384. P.I. Tchaikovsky, № 29, fol. 13.
19 June 1882. Kamenka. Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Letter to Leonty Tkachenko. – F. 384. P.I. Tchaikovsky, № 29, fol. 17.
8 November 1882. Kamenka. Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Letter to Leonty Tkachenko. – F. 384. P.I. Tchaikovsky, № 29, fol. 26.
Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Letter to Lev Davydov, dated to 15 June 1883. – F. 834. P.I. Tchaikovsky, № 19, fol. 45.
14 December 1883. Moscow. Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Letter to Mily Balakirev. – F. 834. P.I. Tchaikovsky, № 12, fol. 12.
13 September 1885. Klin. Maydanovo. Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Letter to Mily Balakirev. – F. 384. P.I. Tchaikovsky, № 12, fol. 21.
21 November 1885. Klin. Maydanovo. Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Letter to Mily Balakirev. – F. 384. P.I. Tchaikovsky, № 12, fol. 28.
11 March 1887. Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Letter to Mily Balakirev. – F. 384. P.I. Tchaikovsky, № 12, fol. 37.
29 April 1887. Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Letter to Vladimir Stasov. – F. 738. V. Stasov, № 343, fol. 62.
1 August 1888. Frolovskoe. Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Letter to Vladimir Vasiliev-Shilovsky. – F. 384. P.I. Tchaikovsky, № 14, fol. 18.
21 April 1884. Kamenka. Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Letter to Anna Alexandrova-Levenson. – F. 384. P.I. Tchaikovsky, № 9, fol. 1.
23 June 1884. Grankino. Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Letter to Lev Davydov. – F. 384. P.I. Tchaikovsky, № 19, fol. 49.
9 November 1887. Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Letter to [Peterson?] written on the paper with the monogram of his elder brother Nikolay. – F. 654. N. G. Rubinstein, № 118.
Pyotr Tchaikovsky's letter to his brother Modest. 17/29 April 1874. – F. 834. P.I. Tchaikovsky, № 36, fol. 52.
Lucien Guitry. Photographic portrait. – F. 965. P. Vaksel, № 1143.
Vsevolod Prokofiev. 1940. – F. 1175. V. and Ju. Prokofievs, № 359, fol. 3.
Vsevolod Prokofiev. Letter to Nikolay Zhegin dated to 16 March 1936. – F. 1175. V. and Ju. Prokofievs, № 348, fol. 1.
Nikolay Zhegin. Letter to Vsevolod Prokofiev. 22 March 1936. – F. 1175. V. and Ju. Prokofievs, № 353.
Nikolay Zhegin. 1932. Director of the Tchaikovsky Museum in Klin. – F. 1575. I. Semenov, № 232.
Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Iolanta's Arioso from the opera of the same name. Fragment. – F. 834. P.I. Tchaikovsky, № 6.
Maria Anderson in the role of the Wite Cat in the ballet «The Sleeping Beauty». – F. 1021. Collection of individual music arrivals, оп. 4, № 5, fol. 30.
Photographic portraits of Pyotr Tchaikovsky and Maria Anderson, pasted in her notebook. – F. 1021. Collection of individual music arrivals, op. 4, № 5, fol. 29 v.
Pyotr Tchaikovsky with Nikolay and Medeya Figners. – F. 1534. N. and R. Figners, № 176.
Nikolay Figners in the role of Lensky in the Pyotr Tchaikovsky opera «Eugene Onegin». – F. 1534. N. and R. Figners, № 155, fols. 1–3.
Medeya Figner in the role of Tatyana in the Pyotr Tchaikovsky opera «Eugene Onegin». Mariinsky Theatre, St. Petersburg, 1880s. – F. 1534. N. and R. Figners, № 179, fols. 1–2.
Leonid Sobinov in the role of Onegin in the Pyotr Tchaikovsky opera «Eugene Onegin». 1900s. – F. 1575. B. Semenov, № 178.
Alexander Smirnov as Lensky in the Pyotr Tchaikovsky opera «Eugene Onegin». 1903. – F. 1033. E. Vizel, № 288.
Konstantin Serebryakov as Gremin in the Pyotr Tchaikovsky opera «Eugene Onegin». 1903. – F. 1033. E. Vizel, № 286.
Nikolay Pechkovsky as Herman in the Pyotr Tchaikovsky opera «The Queen of Spades». 1930. – F. 1033. E. Vizel, № 284.
Noteworthy are musical autographs, not mentioned above. For example, the famous Arioso of the heroine «Why haven't I known this before?» represents the most lyric composer's opera «Iolanta». The Arioso is written in the form of the clavier, and its text is not complete. It was cut off in the mid of the sentence 'I entered into a solemn chorus'. The second half which continues the sentence is missing. The composer deliberately breaks the text, this is proved by the subsequent bar with a stroke of the pen and by his autograph signature with the date '2 November 1892. S.P.b'. 
