Victoria Bachke

Victoria Bachke (7 July 1896 – 19 November 1963) is most widely known as the founder and first director of Ringve Museum, the national museum of music and musical instruments at Lade, Trondheim, Norway. She is one of the few Russian persons who left tracks in modern Norwegian history. A street at Lade, Trondheim is named after Victoria Bachke.

Childhood

Bachke was born in Kranz, Russia, the daughter of Michael Rostin and Sophie Rostin. Michael was a highly ranked engineer, and an inventor. He was in charge of the home. Bachke had eight brothers and sisters. Valentine, Julia, Elisabeth, Ignatjev, Theodor, Serafima and Nikolai. Unfortunately, an older sister died at early age. They grew up in a safe environment in Kranz. Music and singing was important for the family, and they were good musicians. Bachke played the cello and the piano.

Ringve Mansion

Ringve Mansion

In March 1914, Bachke and her 11-years-older sister Valentine Rostin travelled to Europe. Valentine was an opera singer, and performed a lot of concerts all over Europe. They entered Trondheim at 1917. Valentine Rostin became the new prima donna at Trondheim's theater after the role of Violetta in the play La Traviata. Valentine fell in love with the conductor, Morten Svendsen, and they got married. Victoria fell in love with the businessman Christian Anker Bachke, who was 23 years older than she was.

Christian Anker Bachke was the son of Anton Sophus Bachke, owner of Ringve Mansion. Christian inherited the mansion after his father's death.

The Germans occupied Ringve Mansion during World War II.