Tchaikovsky: secrets revealed

President of MoscowЃfs Psychotherapeutic Academy Mikhail Buyanov in his recent interview with ЃgAIFЃh correspondent Sergey Osipov has expressed his anger and frustration concerning current speculations about RussiaЃfs greatest composer, author of ЃgSwan LakeЃh, ЃgNutcrackerЃh and ЃgEugene OneginЃh, Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
The fact that Tchaikovsky was of Ѓgnonstandard sexual orientationЃh and that he committed a suicide is nothing but Ѓga lieЃh. These are simply rumors without any solid evidences.
Mikhail Buyanov:
ЃgЃcFirst of all, we must get to know Tchaikovsky as a person. Unfortunately, he had, as psychiatrist put it, a psychasthenic (anxiously- valetudinarian) character. People with such characters usually posses several dominant traits. First of all, such people are susceptible to constant self-searching accompanied by self-condemnation. They constantly analyze their deeds from a negative perspective. They also tend to exaggerate their personal vices at times even interpreting them as sins. Such phrases as Ѓgmy sinsЃh, Ѓgmy sinful natureЃh, ЃgI am awfulЃh, ЃgI am disgustingЃh and so on appear almost on every page of TchaikovskyЃfs numerous letters. Such constant self-torture is pure pathology.
ЃgPsychasthenics have one more distinctive trait-hypochondria. People with this condition like going to doctors. Tchaikovsky was no exception. He liked visiting various doctors who were not always good. Luckily, he always had good psychiatrists. Such magnificent doctors as Russian Ivan Balinsky and French Teofil D. Alshambo used to consult the composer. However, due to the doctor-patient privacy policy, neither one of the doctors has left any detailed notes about their ЃefamousЃf patient. Nevertheless, certain information can be restored. It is a known fact that those doctors used to lecture their students and had various discussions with their colleagues. All of the facts provided here were in fact taken from such sources and from TchaikovskyЃfs personal notes. It can be stated with absolute certainty that ЃeTchaikovskyЃfs homosexualityЃf is nowhere to be found. More so, no one has ever mentioned this even during the composerЃfs lifetime.Ѓh
According to Buyanov, Ѓgsuch rumors start emerging only in the begging of the XX century. It all started with the Purgold sisters who wanted to get married to Tchaikovsky and Musorsky. They were denied by both composers. In the 80s, Soviet immigrant to the US, a musicologist A. Orlova was the one to collect all the rumors and let American media aware of them. However, there are no evidences to support any of the facts. It is true indeed that Tchaikovsky has often been seen in the gay crowd. There was simply no alternative. Romanoff dynasty was dying out and so was the societal eliteЃcЃh
As far as the composerЃfs suicide is concerned, such fact also remains quite unclear. Mikhail Buyanov states on such account that ЃgThere are no self-murderers among psychasthenics. On the contrary, Tchaikovsky had tanatophobia-constant fear of death. He even forbade everyone from uttering this word in his presence.Ѓh
According to President of MoscowЃfs Psychotherapeutic Academy, ЃgTchaikovsky has lived only 53 years. However, he managed to create a lot in the course of such relatively short life. He worked a lot. He was a real workaholic. (ЃgAIFЃh 3/12/03)

Perhaps, one day we might talk about the way such mythical stories emerge and spreadЃcIn the meantime, take a look at the following short novel. It was sent to us by one of our readers. 
An Autumn Flower, or the Gift of Discernment
Fiction
I have no idea whence it came. Apparently someone dropped it on his way to the church.  On the drab courtyard pavement it looks so dazzling, so gallantly challenging dreary October afternoon, grim skies and icy drizzle with its gorgeously bright, gracefully shaped lavish corolla.  Call it aster, call it chrysanthemum, „џ both names convey the message.  It is a gift from the heavens.  With reverence I pick it up.
Now, once IЃfve got the gift, I should think what to do with it.  In fact, I should have thought about it in advance, rather than standing there, in the middle of the courtyard, alone, withdrawn, idle, aimless, with such an astonishingly beautiful flower in hand.  I have to act quickly: the flower is waxing noticeably hot.
IsnЃft sister Anna a good candidate for the gift?  No: sheЃfs way too young.  Let us give her a few more years to grow and gain experience.  For now she ought to be spared that kind of disturbance.
I am turning away from her, and here comes sister Barbara.  IsnЃft this flower befitting her perfectly?  Might well beЃc but the charcoal glow behind her glasses is so intense that IЃfd better look down, never lifting my own eyes until she is safely behind me.
And what about sister Cyra, approaching me from afar, rosary in her left hand, sheet music in the right?  She would have been a haven for my flower, had I been bold enough to violate that veil of prayer, borne invisibly over her head by an angel.
OK, then, here is mother Dorothea.  Great choice, squeaky clean.  Or is it?  She has just been appointed treasurer, and such a gift would have certain undesirable connotations.  Yesterday or tomorrow that would be just fine, but today IЃfd rather stay on the cautionЃfs side.
Who else?  Mother Evlampia is absolutely the best option!  I rush towards her, only to stop half-way in bewilderment.  See, she is somewhat slow, not to say dense, so, if I venture at explaining her what this flower is all about, I would be surely late for supper.
The flower is positively driving me nuts.  In despair I turn around, „џ and behold, Fr. Zenon.  Glory to Thee, O God.
„џ Fr. Zenon, look here.
„џ What a beautiful flowerЃc
„џ ThatЃfs for you.
„џ Are you sure?... Thank you, thank you!
Fr. Zenon is so good, so kind-hearted, plain and simple.  I love him, and I am so happy to give him that flower.
ThatЃfs basically it.  Oh, just one more thing: when you hear stories about sodomite perversions in our community, IЃfve told you where they all started.