Vladimir Rachmaninoff (1871 - 1897)

Ancestors

Died 19 May 1897 at about age 26 in Astrakhan, Russian Empire

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Biography

Volodya began his educational journey at the First Cadet Corps in St. Petersburg. His pursuit of knowledge continued at the Pavlovsk Military School, where he graduated with the highest honors, earning a certificate of commendation for his exceptional marksmanship skills. His academic prowess earned him the rank of second lieutenant.

Volodya's military career began with his enrollment in the 86th Wilmanstrand Infantry Regiment. For seven years, he served in Staraya Russa, undertaking various roles such as a complainant officer, clerk of the regimental court, and quartermaster. In 1899, he transitioned to the reserve and relocated to St. Petersburg, where he served as a junior assistant bailiff in the police force. Seven years later, Volodya moved with his family to Astrakhan and assumed the role of Chief of Police.

Volodya and his wife, Anna, were blessed with five children. Their eldest son, Sergei, was followed by their daughter Helena, who tragically passed away at seventeen. The names of their other three children remain unknown.

On 10 May 1897, struggling with the effects of a severe illness which included painful seizures, Volodya took his own life with a single shot from a revolver in one of the rooms of the office of the Astrakhan governor, located in a state house on Moskovskaya Street. He was thirty-five years old.

Research Notes

8 Sep 2017: Max Goetschel is currently establishing the true connection between Wladimir Rachmaninoff and Anna Koulitchkovskaia. There are marriage certificate records in Lyon, France that connect these two, but the date of birth listed for Wladimir Rachmaninoff (1895) does not match other historical records (1871).

Sources

• Sergei Rachmaninoff's Three Brothers: Who They Were and How Did Their Fate Develop, at the Russian blog Cultural Cheat Sheet, 31 Jul 2022.

• Registration Book of Incidents in Astrakhan, 1907, entry on the suicide of V.V. Rachmaninoff. GAAO. F. 290. Op. 4. T. 2. Id. at 1233. L. 131 rev. Image available at the blog of the Archives of the Astrakhan Region blog.