Tchaikovsky
www.tchaikovsky-research.net

Nikolai Konradi

Nikolai Germanovich Konradi (Николай Германович Конради), also known as Kolia, was born in 1868, the only son of the Russian agriculturist Herman Konradi and his wife Alina.

Nikolai was born without the ability to hear or speak, and in 1876 his parents engaged the composer's brother Modest as tutor to the eight-year-old boy. Modest had mastered a system called "sonic speech" devised by J. Gugentobler, that was designed to help communication with deaf-mute children. Under Modest's guidance, Nikolai learned to talk, write and read in three languages, and was educated to graduate level. After the divorce of Nikolai's parents in 1881, and the death of Herman Konradi the following year, permanent guardianship of Nikolai was granted to Modest Tchaikovsky in 1882.

After 1876 the composer often stayed with Modest at the Konradis' estate at Grankino, and was very fond of Nikolai, whom he called "Kolia". However, as Nikolai grew older he quarrelled more frequently with Modest, especially over financial matters, and the composer often found himself acting in the role of peacemaker between the two men.

Nikolai Konradi died in 1922.