In the few months before he was sent to Petersburg, he managed to have some lessons in music theory with the Polish composer Stanisław Moniuszko, who was residing in Vilnius at the time.
Cu câteva luni înainte de a fi trimis la Sankt Petersburg Cui a reușit să ia lecții de teorie muzicală de la compozitorul polonez Stanisław Moniuszko care locuia în Vilnius la vremea respectivă.