When Peter was eight, the family moved to St. Petersburg, and the two younger boys were sent to boarding school.  The parting from his home but especially from his mother—­though he saw her once a week—­nearly broke his heart.  Such a school was no place for a sensitive, high-strung boy like Peter, who needed the most tender fostering care.  The work of the school was very heavy, the hours long.  The boys often sat over their books till far into the night.  Besides the school work, Peter had music lessons of the pianist Philipov, and made rapid progress.  At this time music in general excited the boy abnormally; a hand organ in the street would enchant him, an orchestra strangely agitated him.  He seemed to live at a high strung, nervous tension, and had frequent ailments, which kept him out of school.

In 1849 the father secured another appointment, this time at Alapaiev, a little town, where, though there was not so much luxury, the family tried to revive the home life of Votinsk.

No one at Alapaiev seemed to take any interest in the boy Peter’s music.  He was really making great progress, for he had learned much in the lessons he had taken in St. Petersburg.  He studied many pieces by himself, and often improvised at the piano.  His parents did nothing to further his musical education; this may have been because they were afraid of a return of the nervous disorders that the quiet of the present home surroundings had seemed to cure.

From the fact that the father had held government appointments, his sons were eligible for education at the School of Jurisprudence.  Peter was accordingly entered there as a scholar, and completed his course at the age of nineteen.  In those nine years the child Peter developed into maturity.  During this period he suffered the loss of his mother, a handsome and very estimable woman, whom he adored with passionate devotion, and from whom he could never bear to be separated.

While attending the Law School, music had to be left in the background.  His family and companions only considered it as a pastime at best, and without serious significance; he therefore kept his aspirations to himself.  The old boyish discontent and irritability, which were the result of his former nervous condition, had now given place to his natural frankness of character and charm of manner, which attracted all who came in contact with him.

In 1859, when Peter had finished his studies at the School of Jurisprudence, he received an appointment in the Ministry of Justice, as clerk of the first class.  This would have meant much to some young men, but did not greatly impress Peter, as he did not seem to take his work very seriously.  During the three years in which he held the post, he followed the fashion of the day, attended the opera and theater, meanwhile receiving many impressions which molded his character and tastes.  The opera “Don Giovanni,” Mozart’s masterpiece, made a deep impression upon him, also the acting of Adelaide Ristori and the singing of Lagrona.