9 . ▁ ▁Life ▁ ▁Nikol ai ▁was ▁the ▁ ▁sixth ▁son ▁of ▁Karl ▁Otto ▁Georg ▁von ▁Me ck ▁who ▁came ▁from ▁an ▁old ▁Balt ic - G erman ▁noble ▁family ▁originally ▁from ▁S iles ia ▁and ▁N ade zh da ▁von ▁Me ck ▁out ▁of ▁eleven ▁children ▁in ▁total . ▁His ▁father ▁Karl ▁was ▁among ▁Russia ’ s ▁first ▁rail road - build ers ▁after ▁Russia ' s ▁defeat ▁in ▁the ▁Crime an ▁War ▁motiv ated ▁the ▁ts ar ▁to ▁make ▁with ▁the ▁modern izing . ▁Karl ▁died ▁suddenly ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 6 . ▁His ▁mother ▁inherited ▁a ▁substantial ▁fortune ▁and ▁became ▁a ▁patron ▁of ▁the ▁arts . ▁Al ong side ▁her ▁inten se ▁but ▁plat onic ▁relationship ▁with ▁Py otr ▁T cha ik ov sky , ▁she ▁also ▁brought ▁Nikol ai ▁into ▁contact ▁with ▁such ▁people ▁as ▁Claude ▁Deb uss y , ▁who ▁stayed ▁with ▁the ▁family ▁as ▁a ▁young ▁man . ▁Nikol ai ▁recorded ▁that ▁Deb uss y ▁acquired ▁the ▁family ▁nick name ▁" le ▁b oul li ant ▁Ach ille ". ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 8 3 , ▁Nikol ai ▁married ▁Anna ▁Dav yd ova , ▁the ▁nie ce ▁of ▁T cha ik ov sky . ▁ ▁He ▁entered ▁the ▁Imperial ▁College ▁of ▁Law ▁in ▁St . ▁Petersburg . ▁Dec iding ▁to ▁give ▁up ▁a ▁career ▁in ▁law ▁and ▁dev ote ▁himself ▁exclus ively ▁to ▁the ▁railway ▁business , ▁he ▁asked ▁his ▁mother ▁permission ▁to ▁leave ▁school ▁without ▁receiving ▁his ▁degree . ▁ ▁L ack ▁of