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Alferaki, Achilles Nikolayevich (Greek: Αχιλλέας Αλφεράκης); (Russian: Алфераки, Ахиллес Николаевич), sometimes spelled as Akhilles or Ahilles (1846 - December 27, 1919), was a Russian composer and statesman of Greek descent, brother to Sergei Alphéraky. He was born in Kharkov (present-day Ukraine). He spent all of his childhood in the city of Taganrog in the magnificent palace on Catholic Street (currently "Alferaki Palace" on Frunze Street). Achilles received good home education and easily entered the historical and philological faculty at Moscow University, where he also studied music theory. Music was his favorite pastime, but he could not dedicate all of his time to it. The family business made him return to Taganrog, where he settled in the end of 1870. In
1880 Achilles Nikolayevich Alferaki was elected Mayor (городской
голова) of Taganrog. During his mayorship he executed many useful public works. He beautified Taganrog and took part in
establishing different charitable institutions. The city's streets and roads were covered with
cobblestones, trees were planted along the pavements, and the first
boulevards were introduced. Mayor Alferaki contributed to the
establishment of The Society for the Relief of the Aged Poor, established in 1883, and to the development of an elementary education system
in the city. At the city council meetings, Achilles Nikolaevich
Alferaki introduced many new proposals. Some of them looked ambitious
and wasteful for Taganrog's politicians, but some of them were
realized. For example, Alferaki's proposals to erect a monument to Peter I The Great and
to make a major reconstruction of Taganrog's harbor were realized. Even
his mayoralty could not make him forget his passion - the music. He
took part in the activity of Taganrog's Music and Dramatic Society. The
first music classes and a symphony orchestra, directed by famous director and composer V.I. Suk opened in Taganrog. Music lovers, like Mayor Alferaki himself helped Taganrog become known as one of the most music loving cities in the South of Russia.
In 1880, when the Greek composer lived in Taganrog in his mansion on
the Catholic Street, he gathered the entire elite of the city.
Achilles Alferaki was also a talented artist. A large collection of
caricatures is now kept at the Taganrog Museum of Local Lore (the Alferaki Palace).
Within these rare sketches and drawings, we have a chance of seeing the
people, who lived in Taganrog some hundred years ago through the eyes
of a contemporary, getting the spirit of parties and balls of the time. In 1888 Alferaki submitted his resignation and moved to Saint Petersburg,
where he became Chancellor of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in 1891,
and later Director of the Russian Telegraph Agency. Alferaki devoted
much of his time to music. In the former capital of the Russian Empire he wrote more than 100 romances, compositions and two operas St. John's Eve and The Erl King. Achilles Alferaki died in 1919. |