When and how did Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky die?

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky died on October 25 (November 6, New Style), 1893, in St. Petersburg.1

The official cause of death was cholera, which he was diagnosed with on October 21, 1893, during an epidemic in the city. Despite medical efforts, he passed away four days later.2

While his family attributed his death to the disease, the circumstances have long been a subject of debate among historians and contemporaries. Skeptics noted that cholera was rare among the upper classes and that the open-casket ceremony held for the composer was inconsistent with the highly contagious nature of the illness. Some theories, revived in the late 20th century, suggest that Tchaikovsky may have died by suicide to avoid the public exposure of a scandal regarding his personal life. However, these allegations regarding suicide remain unsupported by definitive documentary evidence.32