Aleksey Sofronov

Aleksey Sofronov (1859-1925)

Long-time servant of the composer (b. 1859 at Tiliktino, near Klin; d. 1925 at Klin), born Aleksey Ivanovich Sofronov (Алексей Иванович Софронов), known affectionately by Tchaikovsky as Alyosha (Алëша) or Lyonya (Лёня).

In 1871, Aleksey first stood in for his older brother Mikhail (1848–1932) as Tchaikovsky's servant in Moscow. After Mikhail left Tchaikovsky's service in 1877, Aleksey stayed on to serve the composer for the rest of his days. Tchaikovsky became very attached to Aleksey, who was always staunchly loyal to his master, and helped to found the memorial museum at Klin after the composer's death.

Tchaikovsky was also godfather to Aleksey's son Georgy (b. 1892), by his second wife Yekaterina (b. 1873).

Correspondence with Tchaikovsky

117 letters from Tchaikovsky to Aleksey Sofronov have survived, dating from 1875 to 1893, all of which have been translated into English on this website:

• Letter 405 – 19 June/1 July 1875, from Usovo (addressed jointly to Aleksey and his brother Mikhail Sofronov)
• Letter 469 – 7/19 June 1876, from Kamenka
• Letter 479 – 3/15 July 1876, from Vichy
• Letter 608a – 1/13 October 1877, from Saint Petersburg
• Letter 609a – 5/17 October 1877, from Berlin
• Letter 619 – 16/28 October 1877, from Clarens
• Letter 629 – 27 October/8 November 1877 (?), from Clarens
• Letter 936 – 9/21 October 1878, from Saint Petersburg
• Letter 939 – 12/24 October 1878, from Saint Petersburg
• Letter 941 – 16/28 October 1878, from Saint Petersburg
• Letter 944 – 18/30 or 19/31 October 1878 (?), from Saint Petersburg
• Letter 952 – 26 October/7 November 1878, from Saint Petersburg
• Letter 1149 – 6/18 April 1879, from Moscow
• Letter 1219 – 28 June/10 July 1879, from Nizy
• Letter 1286 – 6/18 September 1879, from Saint Petersburg
• Letter 1292 – 11/23 September 1879, from Saint Petersburg
• Letter 1618 – 27 October/8 November 1880, from Kamenka
• Letter 1656 – 26 December 1880/7 January 1881, from Kamenka
• Letter 1659 – 29 December 1880/10 January 1881, from Kamenka
• Letter 1672 – 29 January/10 February 1881, from Saint Petersburg
• Letter 1674 – 2/14 February 1881, from Saint Petersburg
• Letter 1677 – 10/22 February 1881, from Saint Petersburg
• Letter 1687 – 19 February/3 March 1881, from Florence
• Letter 1696 – 26 February/10 March 1881, from Rome
• Letter 1705 – 10/22 March 1881, from Nice
• Letter 1720 – 28 March/9 April 1881, from Saint Petersburg
• Letter 1730 – 20 April/2 May 1881, from Saint Petersburg
• Letter 1731 – 25 April/7 May 1881, from Moscow
• Letter 1738 – 2/14 May 1881, from Kamenka
• Letter 1746 – 10/22 May 1881, from Kamenka
• Letter 1756 – 18/30 May 1881, from Kamenka
• Letter 1773 – 4/16 June 1881, from Kamenka
• Letter 1794a – 24 June/6 July 1881, from Kamenka
• Letter 1800 – 1/13 July 1881, from Kamenka
• Letter 1811 – 16/28 July 1881, from Kamenka
• Letter 1822 – 2/14 August 1881, from Kamenka
• Letter 1883 – 1/13 November 1881, from Kiev
• Letter 1887 – 7/19 November 1881, from Kiev
• Letter 1891 – 14/26 November 1881, from Vienna
• Letter 1901 – 23 November/5 December 1881, from Rome
• Letter 1907 – 6/18 December 1881, from Rome
• Letter 1913 – 15/27 December 1881, from Rome
• Letter 1917 – 24 December 1881/5 January 1882, from Rome
• Letter 1922 – 29 December 1881/10 January 1882, from Rome
• Letter 1938 – 18/30 January 1882, from Rome
• Letter 1942 – 22 January/3 February 1882, from Rome
• Letter 1950 – 30 January/11 February 1882, from Rome
• Letter 1962 – 11/23 February 1882, from Naples
• Letter 1969 – 16/28 February 1882, from Naples
• Letter 1979 – 24 February/8 March 1882, from Naples
• Letter 2012 – 2/14 May 1882, from Kamenka
• Letter 2022 – 16/28 May 1882, from Kamenka
• Letter 2037 – 3/15 June 1882, from Kamenka
• Letter 2042 – 12/24 June 1882, from Grankino
• Letter 2049 – 22 June/4 July 1882, from Grankino
• Letter 2056 – 30 June/12 July 1882, from Grankino
• Letter 2062 – 14/26 July 1882, from Grankino
• Letter 2096 – 2/14 September 1882, from Kamenka
• Letter 2104 – 11/23 September 1882, from Kamenka
• Letter 2110 – 18/30 September 1882, from Kamenka
• Letter 2129 – 8/20 October 1882, from Kamenka
• Letter 2140 – 20 October/1 November 1882, from Kamenka
• Letter 2169 – 5/17 December 1882, from Moscow
• Letter 2175 – 21 December 1882/2 January 1883, from Saint Petersburg
• Letter 2191 – 8/20 January 1883, from Paris
• Letter 2198 – 14/26 January 1883, from Paris
• Letter 2208 – 24 January/5 February 1883, from Paris
• Letter 2220 – 7/19 February 1883, from Paris
• Letter 2223 – 12/24 February 1883, from Paris
• Letter 2229 – 26 February/10 March 1883, from Paris
• Letter 2237 – 11/23 March 1883, from Paris
• Letter 2251 – 30 March/11 April 1883, from Paris
• Letter 2279 – 28 April/10 May 1883, from Paris
• Letter 2431 – 8/20 February 1884, from Berlin
• Letter 2438 – 18 February/1 March 1884, from Paris
• Letter 2442 – 22 February/5 March 1884, from Paris
• Letter 2446 – 26 February/9 March 1884, from Paris
• Letter 2614 – 1/13 December 1884, from Paris
• Letter 3254 – 11/23 May 1887, from Saint Petersburg
• Letter 3288 – 18/30 July 1887, from Aachen
• Letter 3313 – 7/19 August 1887, from Aachen
• Letter 3320 – 15/27 August 1887, from Aachen
• Letter 3379 – 9/21 October 1887, from Saint Petersburg
• Letter 3451 – 30 December 1887/11 January 1888, from Lübeck
• Letter 3476 – 15/27 January 1888, from Leipzig
• Letter 3483 – 23 January/4 February 1888, from Berlin
• Letter 3491 – 4/16 February 1888, from Prague
• Letter 3510 – 1/13 March 1888, from Paris
• Letter 3521 – 12/24 March 1888, from London
• Letter 3538 – 28 March/9 April 1888, from Tiflis
• Letter 3775 – 24 January/5 February 1889, from Saint Petersburg
• Letter 3780 – 2/14 February 1889, from Frankfurt
• Letter 3803 – 17 February/1 March 1889, from Leipzig
• Letter 3822 – 10/22 March 1889, from Paris
• Letter 3833 – 31 March/12 April 1889, from London
• Letter 3840 – 17/29 April 1889, from Tiflis
• Letter 3934 – 12/24 September 1889, from Moscow
• Letter 4366 – 5/17 April 1891, from Rouen
• Letter 4375 – 23 April/5 May 1891, from New York
• Letter 4457 – 15/27 August 1891, from Ukolovo
• Letter 4521 – 23 October/4 November 1891, from Moscow
• Letter 4531a – 31 October/12 November 1891, from Moscow
• Letter 4577 – 15/27 December 1891, from Moscow
• Letter 4587 – 30 December 1891/11 January 1892, from Warsaw
• Letter 4600 – 12/24 January 1892, from Paris
• Letter 4601 – 13/25 January 1892, from Paris
• Letter 4700 – 31 May/12 June 1892, from Saint Petersburg
• Letter 4703 – 2/14 June 1892, from Saint Petersburg
• Letter 4707 – 17/29 June 1892, from Vichy
• Letter 4792 – 28 October/9 November 1892, from Saint Petersburg
• Letter 4811 – 24 November/6 December 1892, from Saint Petersburg
• Letter 4839 – 31 December 1892/12 January 1893, from Brussels
• Letter 4922 – 27 April/9 May 1893, from Moscow
• Letter 4933 – 15/27 May 1893, from Berlin
• Letter 4947 – 1/13 June 1893, from Cambridge
• Letter 4965 – 1/13 July 1893, from Grankino
• Letter 5024 – 3/15 September 1893, from Saint Petersburg

128 letters from Aleksey Sofronov to Tchaikovsky, dating from 1877 to 1893, are preserved in the Tchaikovsky State Memorial Musical Museum-Reserve at Klin (a⁴, Nos. 4062–4189).

External Links

• Wikipedia (in Russian)