Tchaikovsky
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Vasilii Avenarius (1839–1923)

Vasilii Avenarius

Dramatist, writer of children's literature, and translator (b. 1839 in Tsarskoe Selo; d. 1923), born Vasilii Petrovich Avenarius (Василий Петрович Авенариус, Vasilij Petrovič Avenarius, Vasily Petrovich Avenarius).

After serving in the economic department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Avenarius became a senior figure in the Department of Public Education, He is remembered almost exclusively for his books for children, but also wrote popular biographies of literary figures (including Pushkin and Gogol'), historical novels, and even ventured into the genre of science fiction.

Tchaikovsky became acquainted with Avenarius in the Moscow artistic circle of the 1870s, and the two men had a brief exchange of letters.

Tchaikovsky's correspondence with Vasilii Avenarius:

• 1 letter from Tchaikovsky to Vasilii Avenarius has survived, dating from 1876.