The paper stands for two key handwritten sources of P. I. Tchaikovsky’s ballet “The Nutcracker”—autographs of the score and the transcription for piano two hands. These documents are unique for the manuscript heritage of the composer as a whole. The specificity of the manuscripts is explained by the concrete circumstances surrounding the creation of the ballet and the peculiarities of the practice of P. I. Tchaikovsky’s creative work. Thanks to the use of previously unpublished materials from the collections of the State Museum-Reserve of P. I. Tchaikovsky, the historical context in which work on the ballet took place was significantly updated, and certain important points were clarified. Among other things, these details determined the appearance and content of the autographs of “The Nutcracker.” In turn, the creative manuscripts are presented not only as sources of text but also as historical evidences of the creation and preparation of the publication and first production of the ballet, which in this capacity is no less important than an epistolary, printed periodicals or theatrical official documentation. The paper presents all known data on the displacement of the autographs during the life of P. I. Tchaikovsky and traces their history in the 20th century.