ANDREI VLADIMIROVICH

(Grand Duke, 1879-1956, Russian Major-General, Grandson of Tsar Alexander II, Cousin of Nicholas II) Autograph Letter Signed 'André' in English, to his nephew Slava Astafiev

(d.1976), thanking him and his wife, the ballerina Margot Luck (d. 1976), “for your Xmas greetings and N.Y. wishes” and for his “charming present ... Aunt Mala”, the famous prima ballerina assoluta  Matilda KSCHESSINSKA , (1872-1971), “will write soon to thank you ... all are well considering advanced ages, aunt Julie”, (b. 1866, who preceded her sister Matilda on the stage and married Alexander, Baron Zeddeler, the friend of Nicholas II, in 1901), “will be 90 this year ... young as ever working all day in the garden and enjoys a glass of vodka occasionally”, 1 side oblong 8vo., no place, [10 Villa Molitor, Paris XVI], 14th January 1956 Andrei Vladimirovich married Matilda, who had been for a while in 1892 the mistress of Nicholas II, in 1921. At the time of this letter she was still teaching at her ballet school in Paris, (1929-1963). For their life in Russia and France see her ‘Dancing in Petersburg’, 1960. Slava was the son of her brother, the actor Joseph Kschessinsky, 1868-1942, who stayed in Russia. Slava’s mother was another famous ballerina, Serafima Alexandrovna Astafieva, 1876-1934. She opened her school at ‘The Pheasantry’, 152 Kings Road, Chelsea, in 1916, and her son married Margot Luck, one of her pupils.

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• ordernr.: SD14559

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