Well-known lawyer Plevako. Plevako Fedor Nikiforovich. years of unfair reproach

“Yesterday, a wonderful artist of words, the greatest of Russian court orators, fell silent forever.”
Having read this headline of a Moscow newspaper from the beginning of the 20th century, not everyone will be able to understand who we will be talking about now, but those in the know might have already guessed that we will be talking about Fyodor Nikiforovich Plevako, a famous Moscow lawyer, a perfectionist in public speaking.
Let's start with the very origin of such concepts as oratory and jury service.
During the judicial reforms under Alexander 2, when the New Judicial Statutes were approved, the concept of a jury trial arose and at the same time the concept of the legal profession appeared. A striking example The legal profession at that time in Russia was exactly the person who will now be discussed, namely Fyodor Nikiforovich Plevako.

Fyodor Nikiforovich was born on April 25 (13 according to the old style) 1842 in the city of Troitsk, Orenburg province (now Chelyabinsk region) in the family of a member of the Trinity Customs, court councilor Vasily Ivanovich Plevak.
Why Fedor himself decided to take the middle name Nikiforovich is still unclear.
Fyodor himself also added the letter “O” to the end of his surname already at the University, and demanded that his surname after that be pronounced with the emphasis on “O”.
The very origin of the surname “Plevak (-o)” is interesting. Most likely it is derived from a similar nickname, which is related to the word “spit” in the sense of “to look down on.” Accordingly, it can be assumed that the founder of the clan was a proud, important person.
It is also possible that the surname Plevako is based on the nickname “Plevaka”, associated in meaning with the common noun “spit”, that is, “a person who has the habit of spitting often.” In this case, the nickname “Gobber” indicates the behavior of the ancestor. The change from the final “-a” to “-o” can be explained by the influence of the surrounding dialects on the appearance of the Plevako surname.
The family of the future great lawyer was also unique in that Vasily Ivanovich’s wife was Kalmyk or Kyrgyz (not precisely defined), although she was baptized. Their marriage was not approved by the church, so Fedor and his brother Dormidont were considered illegitimate.

When Fedor was six years old, he already freely read the works of such great Russian poets and writers as A. S. Pushkin, M. Yu. Lermontov and I. A. Krylov, known to us all. The father annually went on vacation to Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan and brought new books to his sons, Fedor and his brother Dormidont (who, by the way, later became a doctor). The children were first educated at home; from the age of seven, Fedor began attending a parish school, and from 8 to 9 years old he studied at a district school. For academic success he was appointed class auditor.
Having retired in June 1851, V.I. Plevako decided to move to Moscow to continue his sons’ studies. On June 19, having said goodbye to Troitsk, the whole family set off and a month later arrived in Belokamennaya. On Ostozhenka we rented an apartment with several rooms and purchased furniture.
The boys were assigned to the first class of the Moscow Commercial School, located there, on Ostozhenka. The brothers studied well, and their names were placed on the “golden board of honor”, ​​but after 1.5 years, when it turned out that they were illegitimate, they were expelled from the school in disgrace. educational institution.
To continue their education, after much trouble, they were placed in the First (Polivanovskaya) Gymnasium, located on Prechistenka, straight into the third grade. Fedor graduated from high school, according to some sources in 1859, and even with a gold medal, according to others - in 1858. During his studies, he finally developed an interest in Russian literature, own style speech.
Perhaps, having encountered blatant injustice in childhood, Plevako chose his future professional path- To become a lawyer. That is why, after graduating from high school, Fedor entered the law faculty of Moscow State University. For the first three years of the university, F. Plevako was listed as a volunteer student and only in his senior years began to study full-time. Many researchers attribute this to the need to financially support an impoverished family by earning money through tutoring and translations. It was then that Fedor translated the book of the German lawyer G. F. Pukhta, “A Course in Roman Civil Law.” Later, having already become a famous lawyer, he published the translation at his own expense, accompanying it with numerous comments.
Living in Moscow, Fedor gained a huge social circle. In court, he testified that he reliably knew both the life of an ordinary cook and the life of a rich merchant.
In 1864, F. N. Plevako graduated from the university and, having received a candidate of law degree, began looking for work. At the same time, the Judicial reforms of Alexander II were underway. The judicial reform, perhaps the most progressive and consistent of the undertakings of Alexander II, proclaimed the principles of universal class, openness and competitiveness of the parties. The formation of these principles in the judicial process required the creation of a new special institute- Bar (sworn attorneys). Plevako was one of the first to sign up as an assistant to the sworn attorney M.I. Dobrokhotov. Having proven himself in criminal trials as a gifted lawyer, on September 19, 1870, Fyodor Nikiforovich was admitted to the jury of the district of the Moscow Court of Justice. From that time on, his brilliant ascent to the heights of lawyer fame began. Fedor’s first client was a moneylender, to whom he pledged things. Plevako lost this case. And it became last thing, which Fedor Nikiforovich lost.
Interesting fact: Fyodor Nikiforovich began any of his speeches at the trial with the words “Gentlemen, but it could have been worse!” Many tried to catch him on purpose, entrusting him with the most difficult tasks so that he would not be able to utter this phrase. Once, the court heard the case of a man who raped his own daughter. The judge, preparing to give the floor to Plevako, asked: “Well, at least now you won’t be able to say your famous words?”
To which Plevako replied: “Gentlemen, it could have been worse! He could have gotten your daughter!”
On this moment operate in Moscow a large number of lawyers. Most of them charge a lot of money for their services, even knowing that the people who contact them may not have them. But if we remember Fyodor Nikiforovich, we will see that this man was ready to take on any task and often absolutely free of charge. This makes him very different from many of today's lawyers. If we talk about protecting people in court, then we can safely say that Fyodor Nikiforovich often did not adhere to the code of laws. Of course, they were present in his speech, but to a greater extent he used his own approach to the matter, using words from the Gospel and knowledge of the history of the “Russian state”, he turned his speech into a very easy and convincing saying, on which the court already rendered a verdict.
F. N. Plevako was distinguished by a rare combination of the gift of improvisation and a sense of humor, which manifested itself in his many witticisms and puns. He often set out his epigrams and parodies on paper. It is known that he published in Moscow magazines under the pseudonym Bogdan Poberezhny. In 1885 he tried to publish his own newspaper “Life” in Moscow, but quickly went bankrupt.
The circle of friends and acquaintances of the lawyer included writers, actors and artists, including: M. A. Vrubel, K. A. Korovin, K. S. Stanislavsky, V. I. Surikov, F. I. Shalyapin, M N. Ermolova, L. V. Sobinov. From time to time, Plevako organized grand dinners or concerts at home with the invitation of colleagues, scientists and artists.
Surprisingly, but so famous lawyer avoided in every possible way political activity. Only in 1905, at a time of general euphoria that gripped society after the release of the Manifesto on October 17, did Plevako decide to join the party of constitutional democrats. However, the Cadets refused him, considering that Plevako and party discipline were incompatible concepts. Then he signed up for the Octobrist party and was elected a deputy from it. III State Duma. On November 20, 1907, Plevako made a speech at the first session of the Duma.
Already during the election campaign, Fyodor Nikiforovich was very unwell. He returned to Moscow from St. Petersburg so sick that in the spring of 1908 doctors did not allow him to go to Carlsbad (a resort in the Czech Republic) for treatment.
F. N. Plevako died on the morning of December 23, 1908, at the age of 65. The obituary published in the Niva magazine says: “Plevako was rightly considered a brilliant lawyer. His name was “Moscow Chrysostom,” and this epithet perfectly defined Fyodor Nikiforovich as a judicial speaker and as a person... Plevako was a man of enormous intelligence ", heart and talent, spontaneously powerful, not always even. All of Russia was talking about Plevako." F. N. Plevako was buried in the cemetery of the Sorrowful Monastery (now the Church of the All-Merciful Savior). In the 1930s the ashes of F.N. Plevako were reburied at Vagankovskoe cemetery in Moscow.
On the day of his funeral, thousands of people came to see him off. last way great people's defender. Representatives of all classes and ranks walked in an endless funeral procession.

Despite the enormous significance of this man for Moscow, his memory was preserved only in the cemetery. On October 17, 2003, at the Vagankovskoye cemetery, a monument was erected on the alley between plots 5 and 6 at the grave of the great Russian lawyer Fyodor Nikiforovich Plevako.

On the left are the inscriptions:
Fedor Nikiforovich Plevako and M.A. Plevako is his wife,

On the right are the inscriptions:
1. N.V. Martynova – daughter of M.A. Plevako from his first marriage
(with V. Demidov),
2. V.E. Martynov - husband of N.V.
3. Varvara F. Plevako - daughter of F.N. and M.A. Plevako.
The erection of the monument became possible thanks to the joint efforts of lawyers, sculptors and journalists. It was hard to believe that until this day, under an earthen mound crowned with a rickety oak cross with a worn inscription, the ashes of the great lawyer rested, and I am sure that all Muscovites are glad that this mistake was finally corrected. But his house on Bolshoy Afanasyevsky Lane was demolished in 1993.
A small but stylish one-story wooden house with a mezzanine in one of the Arbat alleys. In the “after-fire” house, built according to the “exemplary” design in 1817 by warrant officer E.F. Akinfieva, once upon a time the participants lived Patriotic War 1812 brothers Fyodor and Nikolai Akinfiev. Since 1841, the house belonged to the famous Moscow historian P.V. Khavsky, and subsequently, in the 1870s, to the famous lawyer F.N. Gobber. On turn of XIX-XX centuries, the house received a fashionable treatment, in which the influence of the emerging Art Nouveau style was felt. The alley was decorated with sculptures of Atlanteans and caryatids on the main façade.
In the early 1990s, the empty house gradually fell into disrepair: the decor was falling apart, the mezzanine began to tilt deeper into the building. Despite calls from historians and local historians to save this valuable monument to the history and culture of Moscow, the project to restore the building was never implemented - Plevako’s house was demolished. In 2003, it was excluded from the list of identified cultural heritage sites “due to complete physical loss.”

Unfortunately, now at the address Bolshoi Afanasyevsky Lane, 35/37 there is the most ordinary apartment house.

In conclusion, I would like to describe several of his court cases, in which we can most clearly see the mind and talent of this man.

1. One day Plevako came across a case regarding the murder of his wife by a man. The lawyer came to the court as usual, calm and confident of success, and without any papers or cheat sheets. And so, when it was the turn of the defense, Plevako stood up and said:

The noise in the hall began to subside. Spit again:
- Gentlemen of the jury!
There was dead silence in the hall. Lawyer again:
- Gentlemen of the jury!
There was a slight rustle in the hall, but the speech did not begin. Again:
- Gentlemen of the jury!
Here the dissatisfied roar of the people, who had been waiting for the long-awaited spectacle, echoed in the hall. And Plevako again:
- Gentlemen of the jury!
Something unimaginable began. The hall roared along with the judge, prosecutor and assessors. And finally, Plevako raised his hand, calling on the people to calm down.
- Well, gentlemen, you couldn’t stand even 15 minutes of my experiment. What was it like for this unfortunate man to listen to 15 years of unfair reproaches and the irritated nagging of his grumpy woman over every insignificant trifle?!
The audience froze, then burst into delighted applause. The man was acquitted.
2. Once Plevako defended an elderly priest accused of adultery and theft. By all appearances, the defendant could not count on the favor of the jury. The prosecutor convincingly described the depth of the fall of the clergyman, mired in sins. Finally, Plevako rose from his place.
His speech was brief: “Gentlemen of the jury! The matter is clear. The prosecutor is absolutely right in everything. The defendant committed all these crimes and confessed to them. What is there to argue about? But I draw your attention to this. A man sits in front of you who has absolved you of your sins in confession for thirty years. Now he is waiting from you: will you forgive him his sin?”
There is no need to clarify that the priest was acquitted.
3. And here is the case described by Fyodor Nikiforovich himself.
Once a rich Moscow merchant turned to him for help. Plevako says: “I heard about this merchant. I decided that I would charge such a fee that the merchant would be horrified. But not only was he not surprised, but he also said:
- Just win the case for me. I’ll pay what you said, and I’ll also give you pleasure.
- What kind of pleasure?
- Win the case, you'll see.
I won the case. The merchant paid the fee. I reminded him of the promised pleasure. The merchant says:
- On Sunday, at about ten in the morning, I’ll pick you up, let’s go.
-Where to this early?
- Look, you'll see.
- It's Sunday. The merchant came to pick me up. We are going to Zamoskvorechye. I wonder where he's taking me. There are no restaurants here, no gypsies. And the time is not right for these things. We drove down some side streets. There are no residential buildings around, only barns and warehouses. We arrived at some warehouse. A little man is standing at the gate. Either a watchman or a team worker. They got off.
Kupchina asks the man:
- Ready?
- That's right, your lordship.
- Lead...
We walk through the yard. The little man opened a door. We walked in, looked and didn’t understand anything. A huge room, shelves along the walls, dishes on the shelves.
The merchant sent the peasant out, stripped off his fur coat and offered to take it off for me. I undress. The merchant went to the corner, took two hefty clubs, gave one of them to me and said:
- Start.
- What should we start with?
- Like what? Break the dishes!
- Why beat her? The merchant smiled.
- Start, you’ll understand why... The merchant walked up to the shelves and with one blow broke a bunch of dishes. I hit too. Broke it too. We began to break the dishes and, imagine, I went into such a rage and began to smash the dishes with such fury with a club that I’m ashamed to even remember. Imagine that I really experienced some kind of wild but acute pleasure and could not calm down until the merchant and I broke everything down to the last cup. When it was all over, the merchant asked me:
- Well, did you enjoy it? I had to admit that I received it."
This is where I will end my story. I hope that you were interested in learning about this great lawyer Fyodor Nikiforovich Plevako. Thank you for attention!

Fedor Plevako was born on April 25, 1842. His parents were not married, so he was considered an illegitimate child. The young man was distinguished by his remarkable abilities; mathematics came easiest to him. Fyodor sat over books all day long and easily entered the Commercial School in Moscow. Alas, it was not possible to finish his studies - Plevako and his brother were expelled from the educational institution as illegitimate. The father used all his connections to get his children accepted into the 1st Moscow Gymnasium. Then Fedor became a law student at Moscow University. The teachers noted the young man’s lively mind and predicted a brilliant future for him.

The young lawyer is quickly becoming one of the most sought-after in Moscow. They listened to him with bated breath - Plevako, with his amazing oratorical gift, could convince anyone.

“His speech is even, soft, sincere.”

He “adapted” the tone of his speech to suit his listeners, appealing to both reason and feelings. Precise images, conciseness and logical harmony - on the court platform Fyodor Nikiforovich had no equal. However, he never prepared his speeches in advance. The audience was captivated by witty remarks, always said to the point. “The high-cheekboned, angular face of the Kalmyk type with wide-set eyes, with unruly strands of long black hair could be called ugly if it were not illuminated by the inner beauty that showed through in the general animated expression, then in a kind, lionish smile, then in the fire and brilliance talking eyes.

The audience was captivated by witty remarks, always said to the point

His movements were uneven and sometimes awkward; The lawyer's tailcoat sat awkwardly on him, and his lisping voice seemed to run counter to his calling as an orator. But in this voice there were notes of such strength and passion that it captured the listener and conquered him,” wrote judge Anatoly Koni.

Postage stamp of Russia

That's how I described it famous lawyer Anton Pavlovich Chekhov: “Plevako comes up to the music stand, stares at the jury for half a minute and begins to speak. His speech is even, soft, sincere. There are many figurative expressions, good thoughts and other beauties. The diction penetrates into the very soul, fire looks out of the eyes. No matter how much Plevako talks, you can always listen to him without getting bored...”

The lawyer participated in high-profile case about the Morozov strike (1885). It was one of the largest strikes in history Russian Empire. About 8,000 thousand people became its participants. The authorities sent 3 battalions of soldiers and 500 Cossacks to suppress the strike. As a result, 33 people were in the dock, but they were acquitted by the jury. In his speeches, Plevako appealed to a feeling of compassion for workers exhausted by heavy physical labor. He has appeared as a defense attorney in labor riot cases on several occasions.

Plevako, with his amazing oratorical gift, could convince anyone

Another brilliant speech by Fyodor Nikiforovich is connected with the revolt of the peasants of one of the villages of the Tula province against the neighboring landowner, Count Bobrinsky. The riot was brutally suppressed, 34 “inciters” were brought to justice. Plevako not only defended the defendants, but also paid them all legal expenses. He proved the difficult situation of the Tula peasants with specific figures. According to him, they lived “a hundred times harder than pre-reform slavery.” "Poverty is hopeless,<…>lack of rights, shameless exploitation, leading everyone and everything to ruin - these are the instigators!” the lawyer said.

Once Plevako defended a saleswoman who violated the trade rule and closed her shop 20 minutes later than required by law. Fyodor Nikiforovich was 10 minutes late for the meeting. The prosecutor asked to find the defendant guilty. “The defendant was actually 20 minutes late. But, gentlemen of the jury, she is an old woman, illiterate, and doesn’t know much about watches. You and I are literate and intelligent people. How are things going with your watches? When the wall clock shows 20 minutes, Mr. Chairman has 15 minutes, and Mr. Prosecutor’s clock has 25 minutes. Of course, Mr. Prosecutor has the most reliable watch. So my watch was 20 minutes slow, so I was 20 minutes late. And I always considered my watch to be very accurate, because I have a gold, Moser watch,” said Plevako. After his speech, the saleswoman was acquitted.

Abbess Mitrofania

Fyodor Nikiforovich also defended Abbess Mitrofania; she was accused of appropriating someone else's property. This case was widely covered in the press. The court decided to deprive Mitrofania of her property and exile her to the Yenisei province, but her intercessors achieved a reduced sentence of deportation to Stavropol. The outstanding lawyer died on January 5, 1909 in Moscow.

The second half of the 19th century - the “golden age” Russian Bar Association. The judicial reform of 1864 radically changed the justice system in Russia. Instead of the former secret, closed court, drowning in a sea of ​​papers, open jury trials and an institution of public defenders independent from the state appeared. Among the luminaries of that time, Fyodor Nikiforovich Plevako was truly unique - a brilliant speaker who never prepared speeches in advance, but improvised with inspiration and often saved clients from inevitable punishment with his wit alone.

Over the 40 years of his career, the “Moscow Zlatoust” conducted more than 200 trials and won almost all of them. As a rule, these were the highest-profile litigations in the country. People lined up to see Plevako several years in advance. He was distinguished by his good nature and gentleness, and freely helped the poor. Moreover, he gave them shelter in his house and paid expenses for the entire duration of the proceedings. He took human suffering to heart and knew how to speak about it soulfully in court, as if he had gone through it personally. However, in his life there really were enough tragedies and farces - Anews recalls this.

Fedor grew up as a disenfranchised “outcast” under a false name

Fyodor Nikiforovich was born in April 1842 in Troitsk, lost in the Orenburg steppes. His paternal surname is Plevak, his real patronymic is Vasilyevich. He was considered illegitimate, since his parents - a customs official from the Ukrainian or Belarusian impoverished nobles and a Kyrgyz or Kazakh serf - were not in a church marriage. In Russia, until 1902, such children were deprived of all rights and were not considered heirs. The patronymic Nikiforovich and, by the way, the original surname Nikiforov, came to him from godfather, a runaway serf who served his father. Only at the university did Fyodor Nikiforov obtain permission to take his father’s last name, and after graduation, for the sake of euphony, he added the letter O to it, and pronounced it with an emphasis - Plevako. However, he still went down in history as Plevako.

From childhood, Fyodor remembered one particularly humiliating moment: when he, the best second-grader, who amazed him with his ability to perform operations with three-digit numbers in his mind, was expelled in disgrace from the exemplary Moscow commercial school simply because he was illegitimate. “God forgive them! They really didn’t know what those narrow-minded people were doing when they performed human sacrifice,” he wrote many years later. He completed his studies at another gymnasium, where his father managed to get him settled after a long ordeal through the authorities, at the cost of his own health.

Fyodor made his first “defensive speech” in infancy - and saved his life

In those days, living unmarried was a great shame for a woman; society considered her a harlot. Ekaterina Stepanovna once confessed to her son that, unable to withstand the constant bullying of her neighbors, she grabbed him, a newborn, and in despair ran to drown himself. But on the cliff itself, Fyodor began to cry, so much so that he instantly brought his distraught mother to her senses.

Ekaterina Stepanovna

Over time, this family story became overgrown with fictitious details: that some Cossack stopped the woman and begged her to give him the child to raise, and that then, by a lucky chance, he himself met the boy’s father, who recognized him and returned him home. In such a distorted form, it is still found in lawyer biographies.

Plevako was ugly and clumsy, but he transformed fabulously on the podium

Already at the age of 25, the graduate of the Law Faculty of Moscow University became known as a gifted, strong lawyer, and at the age of 28 he became known as one of the best in Moscow. From his first fee, he bought himself a tailcoat for 200 rubles - a luxury unthinkable at that time. Outwardly, he was unprepossessing: small, slanted, with a sparse beard. But during his performances he looked like an eagle.

This is how Plevako was described by his contemporary, the famous lawyer and judge Anatoly Fedorovich Koni: “The high-cheekbone, angular face of the Kalmyk type with widely spaced eyes, with unruly strands of long black hair could be called ugly if it were not illuminated by the inner beauty that showed through in general animated expression, sometimes in a kind, lion-like smile, sometimes in the fire and sparkle of speaking eyes. His movements were uneven and sometimes awkward; The lawyer's tailcoat sat awkwardly on him, and his lisping voice seemed to run counter to his calling as an orator. But in this voice there were notes of such strength and passion that it captured the listener and conquered him.”

Plevako failed his first case miserably

His first client was a moneylender, to whom Fyodor pawned a cigarette case in order to celebrate either Christmas or Easter with the proceeds of 25 rubles. He asked the young lawyer to help resolve the case of collecting the bill, and Plevako immediately made a mistake on the issue of jurisdiction, filing a petition with the District Court instead of the Trial Chamber. He lost, but not miserably: his performance was generally liked, and the newspapers mentioned his name for the first time in their reports.

Sometimes, by mistake, Plevako's first case is considered to be another of his early lost cases. His client Alexei Maruev was then found guilty of two forgeries and exiled to Siberia, despite the contradictions identified by the lawyer in the testimony of witnesses.

Plevako lost the biggest case of his life

Indeed, it dragged on for 20 years, and even the “genius of words” was unable to do it. This was the divorce proceedings of millionaire Vasily Demidov from the famous clan of “linen kings”. It turned into a deep personal drama for Plevako. Having undertaken to help Demidov’s wife, who was seeking freedom from her unloved husband, he himself fell in love with her and started a family with her.

Maria Demidova

But the relationship could not be legalized until the merchant gave a divorce, and he was stubborn until his death.

Vasily Demidov

The three common children of Plevako and Demidova faced the painfully familiar fate of illegitimate outcasts. Avoiding this at all costs, the lawyer recorded them as foundlings, and only years later was he able to file a petition to assign them their own patronymic and surname.

The eldest daughter of Plevako and Demidova Varvara

Maria Demidova with their common son Sergei

Already legally married: the Plevako couple with children

Having become immensely rich, Plevako fell into riotous lordship

From the age of 36, Fedor Plevako earned huge money. He bought a luxurious two-story mansion on Novinsky Boulevard and lived a bohemian life - he dashed around Moscow in a troika with bells, threw grand drinking parties with gypsies, to whom he threw thousands, sang songs until the morning. And it happened that he chartered a steamer and set off on a voyage along the Volga in a circle of acquaintances and strangers. On these occasions he said that he had gone to stay with a friend in Samara to have a pleasant time chatting by the fireplace.

Novinsky Boulevard at the beginning of the 20th century. In the depths of the frame, opposite the tram, two side wings of Plevako’s house and a garden between them are visible

At the same time, he never refused poor clients and donated huge sums to the crippled and orphans. But he literally extorted wild fees from merchants, demanding payment in advance. They tell how a certain rich man, not understanding the word “advance”, asked Plevako what it was. “Do you know the deposit?” - asked the lawyer. - "I know". - “So the advance is the same deposit, but three times more.”

Plevako was not always sure of the innocence of his clients

One day a crowd of three thousand gathered to listen to the trial, where the famous Plevako spoke. Two brothers were tried for theft during construction, their guilt was obvious. Everyone waited in trepidation that after the lawyer’s speech, the attitude towards the defendants would magically change and they would be acquitted. But the unheard of happened: Plevako jumped up and in the heat of the moment began to prove their guilt, while refuting his own colleague, the second defender, who managed to speak earlier. The jury immediately returned a verdict: guilty.

A sensational rumor immediately spread across Moscow that they themselves higher power they administer justice through Plevako, who enters a state of trance during the trials.

Fyodor Nikiforovich himself clarified his position when defending Alexandra Maksimenko in 1890, who was accused of poisoning her own husband. He said bluntly: “If you ask me if I am convinced of her innocence, I will not say yes, I am convinced.” I don't want to lie. But I am not convinced of her guilt either. When you have to choose between life and death, then all doubts must be resolved in favor of life.”

And yet Plevako avoided knowingly wrong deeds. For example, he refused to defend the notorious swindler Sofya Bluvshtein, nicknamed “Sonka the Golden Pen.”

Shackling Sonya, 1881

Plevako was not an erudite - he often took advantage of his humor and ingenuity

Although he was well read and had an exceptional memory, he was inferior to other luminaries in depth of analysis, logic and consistency. But he surpassed them all in infectious sincerity, emotional power, oratorical inventiveness, he knew how to convince and move, he was a master of beautiful comparisons, loud phrases and unexpected witty antics, which often became the only salvation of his clients. This is evident from his performances, which are still legendary today.

1. Sinful father

An elderly priest was tried for stealing church money. He himself confessed to everything, the witnesses spoke out against him, the prosecutor made a damning speech. Plevako, who made a bet with manufacturer Savva Morozov with Nemirovich-Danchenko as a witness that he would complete his speech in one minute and the priest would be acquitted, remained silent throughout the meeting and did not ask a single question. When his moment came, he only said, sincerely addressing the jury: “Gentlemen of the jury! For more than twenty years, my client has absolved you of your sins. Now he is waiting for you to forgive him his sins once, Russian people!” Father was acquitted.

2. Old lady and teapot

In the trial of the old woman Antonina Pankratyeva, who stole a tin teapot worth 30 kopecks from a merchant’s counter, the prosecutor, wanting to disarm Plevako in advance, himself expressed everything possible in favor of the accused: she herself is poor, and the theft is trivial, and I feel sorry for the old woman... But property is sacred , he continued menacingly, the entire improvement of the country is supported by it, “and if people are allowed to ignore this, Russia will perish.” Plevako stood up and said: “Russia has suffered many troubles and tragedies over a thousand years. Mamai came towards her, and the Pechenegs, Tatars, and Polovtsians tormented her. Napoleon marched against it and took Moscow. Russia endured everything, overcame everything, and only grew stronger and stronger from the trials. But now... An old woman stole a teapot worth 30 kopecks, and I can’t help but feel creepy. Holy Rus' will not withstand such a test; it will certainly perish.” Pankratyeva was acquitted.

3. A man and a prostitute

Once Plevako had the opportunity to defend a man whom a prostitute accused of rape in order to recover a substantial sum from him. They were about to condemn him when the lawyer took the floor: “Gentlemen of the jury, if you sentence my client to a fine, then I ask you to deduct from this amount the cost of washing the sheets that the plaintiff soiled with her shoes.” The indignant girl jumped up: “He’s lying! Why am I a pig to dirty the bed? I took off my shoes!” There was laughter in the hall. Naturally, the man was acquitted.

"Tsar Cannon, Tsar Bell and Fyodor Nikiforovich Plevako"

When the brilliant lawyer died at the age of 66 from a broken heart, one of the newspapers wrote: “There were three attractions in Moscow: the Tsar Cannon, the Tsar Bell and Fyodor Nikiforovich Plevako. Yesterday our city lost one of them.”

He was buried in front of a huge crowd of people of all classes, both poor and rich, in the cemetery of the Sorrowful Monastery.

Farewell to Fyodor Nikiforovich Plevako

When the monastery graveyard was demolished during the Stalin years, out of 2,500 burials, only Plevako’s ashes were allowed to be transferred to the Vagankovskoye cemetery.

Original dilapidated tombstone

On the modern tombstone of the great Russian lawyer is carved a biblical truth, which he used in one of his speeches: “Judge not with hatred, but judge with love, if you want the truth.”

Modern bas-relief

The lawyer's name became a household name far beyond the borders of the Russian Empire. Fyodor Plevako became famous not only for his professionalism and deep knowledge of the laws, but also for his masterly command of words and oratorical talent. On court hearings with his participation, people came as if to a spectacular event, fascinating and arousing emotions.

“Metropolitan of the Bar”, “Pushkin in jurisprudence”, “genius of speech” - Plevako was called as many times by his colleagues and common people, whom Fyodor Nikolaevich often defended for free. The imagery and richness of speech, the skillful construction of sentences, the composition of the text and the emotional coloring given to it were admired by another genius of the word -.

“The diction penetrates into the very soul, fire looks out of the eyes... No matter how much Plevako speaks, you can always listen to him without getting bored...” the writer said.

Childhood and youth

A talented lawyer was born in the spring of 1842 on Southern Urals, in Troitsk, which at that time belonged to the Orenburg province.

Biographers continue to argue about the family and parents of the famous lawyer. If regarding the father they came to a common denominator, calling him an exiled Polish nobleman with the rank of court councilor, then the nationality of the mother is still unknown for certain. Some sources call her a Kalmyk, others - a Kyrgyz, and still others - a Kazakh serf, who nevertheless came from a rich and noble family.

The father of the future luminary of the Russian legal profession was called Vasily Plevak (later the lawyer added the letter “o” at the end for euphony, placing emphasis on it).

Parents lived in civil marriage, Not consecrated by the church and official seals. The family had four offspring, of whom two sons survived - Fedor and Dormidont. The children were illegitimate, which later affected the biography. They received their middle name from their godfather.

In the early 1850s, the family moved to Moscow. The boys were sent to a prestigious school on Ostozhenka, which prepared students for students at commercial and technical universities in Russia. In the first year of study, the names of the Plevak brothers adorned the honor board, but six months later, Fyodor and Dormidont, having learned about their “illegitimate” status, were expelled.

The head of the family had to work hard to get his children into the 1st metropolitan gymnasium, which was located on Prechistenka. Based on the exam results, the boys were immediately assigned to the 3rd grade.

After graduating from high school, Fyodor Plevak became a student at Moscow University, choosing jurisprudence. The graduate's diploma already included a new surname, by which the lawyer is still known today.

Jurisprudence

After graduation professional career Plevako developed rapidly. In 1964, a young lawyer with a PhD in Law interned for six months in the capital's district court, waiting for a suitable vacancy.

This turned up in the spring of 1866. At this time, jury advocacy appeared in Russia, and Fyodor Plevako became one of the first in the capital to be hired as an assistant to a jury attorney. In this rank he quickly became famous, speaking at criminal trials.

It is noteworthy that the future “metropolitan of the legal profession” lost his first case, and his client was exiled to Siberia. But the young lawyer’s speech made a strong impression on the judges. Fyodor Plevako demonstrated a masterly ability to work with witness testimony.

In the fall of 1870, Plevako himself was already an attorney in the trial chamber of the capital's district court. From that moment on, “golden” pages began to appear in the lawyer’s biography one after another. The court speeches of the “genius of words” were analyzed into quotes. But after 2 years brilliant career Plevako was almost interrupted: the human rights activist came under suspicion from the head of the provincial gendarmerie as an active member of a secret legal society. He was accused of promoting revolutionary ideas among students.

The luminary of the Russian legal profession managed to emerge victorious: the case was closed for lack of evidence. But Fyodor Plevako has not taken risks since then and has avoided “political” processes. Only after 1905 did the human rights activist begin to take on cases with political overtones.

A successful lawyer has improved financial situation and bought a house in Bolshoy Afanasyevsky Lane. His fame thundered in Moscow and throughout the country, and among the admirers of the lawyer’s talent were all classes of citizens: Plevako defended both rich clients and poor ones with equal zeal. He didn’t take the last money and even paid legal expenses.

There were legends about the oratory skills of the master of law, and Interesting Facts biographies and the most entertaining parts of court speeches were passed on from mouth to mouth. Later, Fyodor Plevako published a book in which he published his most high-profile speeches at the trials.

Eyewitnesses described the lawyer's speeches as inspired and not devoid of improvisation. He often referred to the Bible, gave examples from Roman law, which he knew thoroughly and wrote a scientific work on it.

One day, Fyodor Plevako had to speak out against the thieving abbess, who was accused of forgery and stealing money. The lawyer was not afraid of the wrath of the clergy and exposed the temple servant, pointing out the hypocrisy and bribery hidden under the nun’s cassock.

At the end of 1874, a loud scandal took place in the district court of the capital. trial, in which Fyodor Nikiforovich defended a girl who arrived in Moscow and checked into a hotel. At night, a crowd of drunken men burst into the unfortunate woman’s room, and to escape from them, she jumped out of a third-floor window. Fortunately, Plevako’s client only broke her arm after falling into a snowdrift.

Defenders of the criminal company insisted on the innocence of their charges, arguing that the men did not harm the girl, and that she jumped out of the window herself.

Then Fyodor Plevako resorted to an instructive analogy, talking about the behavior of an ermine fleeing a chase. If there was a dirty puddle on the way to salvation, the animal preferred to die rather than stain its snow-white fur.

“And I understand why the victim jumped out the window,” Plevako concluded.

The judges punished the men by handing down a guilty verdict.

Fyodor Plevako has over two hundred cases won, including the case of an industrialist, which was heard in the summer of 1900. He was taken into custody for failure to repay debts to banks from which he took money for the construction of a railway line. The road was supposed to connect Vologda and Arkhangelsk, and the contract for construction came from the Russian government.

Mamontov spent all his savings, but they were not enough. The hope for help from the government and the “financial” minister did not materialize.

The lawyer was able to prove that the industrialist did not embezzle a penny of money and did not pursue selfish goals. Plevako’s speech at the trial, as expected, became an example of oratorical skill. Savva Mamontov was released from custody right in the courtroom.

Personal life

Even in the personal life of a lawyer, there was a place for a 20-year-long legal battle.

After the dissolution of his failed first marriage with teacher Ekaterina Filippova, who gave birth to his son Sergei, Fedor Plevako fell in love with his client Maria Demidova, who initiated a divorce from her millionaire husband. “The Flax King” Demidov did not want to let his wife go and destroy the family in which 5 offspring were raised.

The outbreak of romance forced Fyodor and Maria to give a damn about conventions and settle under the same roof. Soon the couple had a daughter, Varvara. A boy appeared behind her - son Sergei. According to the law, Plevako’s children were considered Demidov’s children.

The divorce process lasted 20 years and ended with the death of the stubborn merchant. Fyodor Plevako had to register the children as abandoned and then adopt them.

Both Sergei became lawyers, like their father, but they were unable to replicate his fame.

Death

The man died, having lived 66 years, in December 1908. The cause of death was a heart attack.

Fyodor Nikiforovich was accompanied on his final journey by a huge procession in which people of different classes and incomes mixed.

The famous lawyer was buried in the cemetery adjacent to the former convent, which bore the name Skorbyashchensky.

At the end of the 1920s, the cemetery was destroyed and a playground for children was built on the burial site. Plevako’s remains were transferred to Vagankovskoye, erected on the lawyer’s grave wooden cross. Only in 2003, the Russian lawyer's brotherhood raised money for a tombstone and bas-relief with the appearance of Fedor Plevako.

The release of the detective-historical series “Winners” has been announced for 2019, in which the role of “Pushkin in jurisprudence” went to.

Fedor Nikiforovich Plevako(April 13 (25), 1842, Troitsk - December 23, 1908 (January 5, 1909), Moscow) - lawyer, jurist, court speaker, actual state councilor.

Biography

According to some sources, F.N. Plevako was the son of a Polish nobleman and a Kalmyk woman from the Orenburg Kalmyk Cossacks. Father is court councilor Vasily Ivanovich Plevak, mother is Kalmyk Ekaterina Stepanova. The parents were not in an official church marriage, so their two children - Fedor and Dormidont - were considered illegitimate. There were four children in the family, but two died as infants. The patronymic Nikiforovich was taken from the name Nikifor, the godfather of his older brother. Later, Fyodor entered the university with his father’s surname Plevak, and after graduating from the university he added the letter “o” to it, and called himself with an emphasis on this letter: Plevako.

The Plevako family moved to Moscow in the summer of 1851. In the fall, the brothers were sent to the Commercial School on Ostozhenka. The brothers studied well, Fyodor especially became famous for his mathematical abilities. By the end of the first year of study, the brothers’ names were included on the “golden board” of the school. And six months later, Fedor and Dormidont were expelled as illegitimate. In the fall of 1853, thanks to their father's long efforts, Fedor and Dormidont were admitted to the 1st Moscow Gymnasium on Prechistenka - immediately into the 3rd grade. By the way, in the same year Pyotr Kropotkin entered the gymnasium and also entered the third grade. Many Russian figures who later became famous studied at the same school.

Graduated from the Faculty of Law of Moscow University. He was a candidate for judicial positions in Moscow. In 1870, Plevako entered the class of sworn attorneys of the district of the Moscow judicial chamber, which improved his financial situation. He acquired ownership of the house at 35 Bolshoy Afanasyevsky Lane (the house was demolished in 1993. See photo of the house). He soon became known as one of the best lawyers in Moscow, often not only helping the poor for free, but sometimes paying for unforeseen expenses of his poor clients.

Plevako's legal practice took place in Moscow, which left its mark on him. And the ringing of bells in Moscow churches, and the religious mood of the Moscow population, and the eventful past of Moscow, and its current customs resonated with court speeches Gobber. They are full of texts Holy Scripture and references to the teachings of the Holy Fathers. Nature has endowed Plevako with a wonderful gift of speech.

There was no more unique speaker in Russia. Plevako’s first court speeches immediately revealed his enormous oratorical talent. In the trial of Colonel Kostrubo-Koritsky, heard in the Ryazan district court (1871), Plevako’s opponent was attorney-at-law Prince A.I. Urusov, whose passionate speech excited the audience. Plevako had to erase the unfavorable impression for the defendant. He countered the harsh attacks with reasoned objections, a calm tone and a strict analysis of the evidence. Plevako’s oratorical talent was reflected in all its brilliance and original power in the case of Abbess Mitrofaniya, who was accused in the Moscow District Court (1874) of forgery, fraud and misappropriation of other people’s property. In this process, Plevako acted as a civil plaintiff, denouncing hypocrisy, ambition, and criminal inclinations under the monastic robe. Also noteworthy is Plevako’s speech on the case heard in the same court in 1880 of a 19-year-old girl, Kachka, who was accused of murdering student Bairoshevsky, with whom she was in a love affair.

Plevako often spoke out in cases of factory riots and in his speeches in defense of workers accused of resisting the authorities, rioting and destruction of factory property, aroused a feeling of compassion for unfortunate people, “exhausted by physical labor, with spiritual forces frozen from inaction, in contrast to us , the darlings of fate, brought up from the cradle in the concept of goodness and in complete prosperity.” In his court speeches, Plevako avoided excesses, polemicized with tact, demanding from his opponents “equality in struggle and battle with equal weapons.” Being an improvising speaker, relying on the power of inspiration, Plevako delivered, along with magnificent speeches, relatively weak ones. Sometimes in the same trial one of his speeches was strong, the other was weak (for example, in the Meranville case). In his youth, Plevako was engaged in scientific works: in 1874 he translated into Russian and published Pukhta’s course on Roman civil law. He was his assistant after 1894 famous singer L. V. Sobinov. According to his political views, he belonged to the “Union of October 17th”.