Sviatoslav Richter was the son of Theophil Danilovich Richter, a pianist, organist, composer, teacher at the Odessa Conservatory, and organist of the city Lutheran church. Sviatoslav said that his father had a great influence on him in childhood and youth and was his first teacher.
The Richter family moved to Odessa in 1916. Theophil Richter was arrested in August 1941 and executed on 6 October 1941 in Odessa.
