Fedor Plevako - biography, information, personal life. Lawyer Plevako, court speeches! Notable cases of a goofball

1. "I'll find myself Plevako"

It was this phrase that was said in Russia when someone needed the services of a good lawyer. With this name, people had associations with the public defender, who could be fully relied upon. Why was Fyodor Plevako so convincing in his speeches in court? Why won even, it would seem, the most complex and intricate processes?

2. What captivated Plevako's speeches

The whole point is not only in the correctness of his speech, but also in the construction of statements, organization of the text, composition and emotional coloring. It was not for nothing that in the journal Pravo for 1908 he was compared with Pushkin: “Plevako was a brilliant Russian orator. In this area, he was for us what Pushkin was for Russian poetry. As after Pushkin it became difficult to be a Russian poet, so after It became difficult for Plevako to be a Russian orator."

3. Paradox, but he lost the first case

Despite the fact that Plevako's first case was lost, his name became famous. However, his first court speech was distinguished by skill and showed the talent of the orator. He never spoke sharply and assertively, on the contrary, the validity of his statements, calm tone and evidence captivated listeners, both educated and those who were not versed in oratory.

4. Chekhov about Plevako

Many writers wrote and spoke about him during his lifetime. One of them is Chekhov. Here is what the writer noticed about the orator's talent and the power of his words: "Splendid comes to the music stand, looks 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.. Diction creeps into the very soul, fire looks from the eyes ... No matter how much Plevako says, you can always listen to him without boredom ... "

5. "The case of the old woman."

Plevako's speeches and court cases are studied in many public speaking courses. The case of the old woman who stole the teapot has already become a traditional and textbook example. So, already at the trial, the prosecutor knew that Plevako would defend the old woman and decided to act with cunning: he himself brought arguments in defense of the old woman. The prosecutor said all the mitigating circumstances of the crime: an old woman, poverty, need, the insignificance of the theft ... But he nevertheless emphasized that property is sacred, and if you encroach on it, then the country will perish. What was Plevako's response to this? "Russia had to endure many troubles and trials for more than a thousand years of existence. The Pechenegs tormented her, the Polovtsians, Tatars, Poles. Twelve languages ​​fell upon her, they took Moscow. Russia endured everything, overcame everything, only grew stronger and grew from trials. But now, now ... the old woman has stolen a teapot worth fifty kopecks. Russia, of course, will not be able to stand this, it will perish irrevocably from this. It was this brilliant answer by Plevako, his comparison with the history of Russia, that saved the woman from prison, and the court acquitted her.

6. The most important difference between Plevako and other speakers and lawyers was that he could influence the feelings of listeners, “see” the jury, cause them to cry, laugh, and sometimes ironic smiles.

Two lives of the lawyer Plevako. Documentary. Directed by Stenin M., 2012

Fedor Nikiforovich Plevako (04/25/1842 - 01/05/1909) - a famous lawyer and an outstanding orator, about whom there are legends. He was the illegitimate son of court councilor Vasily Ivanovich Plevak and serf Ekaterina Stepanova. The patronymic Nikiforovich was taken from the name of the godfather of his older brother. After graduating from the university, Fedor added the letter “o” to his paternal surname Plevak, and he called himself with an accent on this letter: Plevako.
F.N. Plevako had two sons (from different wives), who were named the same - Sergey Fedorovich. Later, both Sergei Fedorovich Plevako became lawyers and practiced in Moscow, which often caused confusion.
Plevako owned an apartment building on Novinsky Boulevard, and this house was named as Plevako's house - and it is still called so.

THE MOST BRIGHT PERFORMANCES OF PLEVAKO:

I took off my shoes!
Plevako defended a man whom a prostitute accused of rape and is trying to get a significant amount from him in court for the injury. Facts of the case: the plaintiff alleges that the defendant lured her into a hotel room and raped her there. The man also declares that everything was in good agreement. The last word for Plevako.
"Gentlemen of the jury," he says. "If you award my client 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 prostitute jumps up and shouts: "That's not true! I took off my shoes!"
Laughter in the hall. The defendant is acquitted.

15 years of unfair reproach.
Once Plevako was conducting a case regarding the murder of his woman by one peasant. Plevako came to court as usual, calm and confident of success, and without any papers and cribs. And so, when the turn came to the defense, Plevako stood up and said:

The noise in the hall began to subside. Plevako 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 in the hall swept the discontented rumble of the long-awaited long-awaited spectacle of the people. And Plevako again:
- Gentlemen of the jury!
Here already the hall exploded with indignation, perceiving everything as a mockery of the respectable public. And from the podium again:
- Gentlemen of the jury!
Something incredible has begun. The hall roared along with the judge, prosecutor and assessors. And finally, Plevako raised his hand, urging the people to calm down.
- Well, gentlemen, you could not stand even 15 minutes of my experiment.
And what was it like for this unfortunate peasant to listen for 15 years to unfair reproaches and irritated itching of his grumpy woman over every insignificant trifle?!
The hall froze, then burst into admiring applause. The man was acquitted.

Remission of sins.
Once he defended an elderly priest. By all appearances, the defendant had nothing to count on the favor of the jury. The prosecutor convincingly described the depth of the fall of the clergyman, mired in sins. Finally, Plevako got up from his seat. His speech was brief: “Gentlemen of the jury! The matter is clear. The prosecutor is absolutely right about everything. The defendant committed all these crimes and confessed to them himself. What is there to argue about? But I draw your attention to this. Before you sits a man who for thirty years has forgiven you for your confession of your sins. Now he is waiting for you: will you forgive him one of his sins? There is no need to specify that the priest was acquitted.

30 kopecks.
The court is considering the case of an old woman, a hereditary honorary citizen, who stole a tin teapot worth 30 kopecks. The prosecutor, knowing that Plevako would defend her, decided to cut the ground from under his feet, and he himself described to the jury the hard life of the client, which forced her to take such a step. The prosecutor even stressed that the criminal causes pity, not resentment. But, gentlemen, private property is sacred, the world order is based on this principle, so if you justify this grandmother, then you and the revolutionaries should logically be justified. The jurors nodded their heads in agreement, and then Plevako began his speech. He said: “Russia has had to endure many troubles, many trials for more than a thousand years of existence. Pechenegs tormented her, Polovtsy, Tatars, Poles. Twelve languages ​​fell upon her, they took Moscow. Russia endured everything, overcame everything, only grew stronger and grew from trials. But now... The old woman stole an old teapot worth 30 kopecks. Russia, of course, will not withstand this, it will perish irrevocably from this ... "

The Omen.
One day, Plevako, speaking in the provincial district court, agreed with the bell-ringer of the local church that he would begin the evangelism for Mass with particular precision. The speech of the famous lawyer lasted several hours, and at the end he exclaimed: If my client is innocent, the Lord will give a sign about it! And then the bells rang. The jurors crossed themselves. The meeting lasted several minutes, and the foreman announced a verdict of not guilty.

Acted as a defender at major political trials:

• The Case of the Luthoric Peasants (1880)
• The Case of the Sevsk Peasants (1905)
• The case of the strike of factory workers of the Association of S. Morozov (1886) and others.
• Bartenev case
• Gruzinsky case
• Case of Lukashevich
• Case Maksimenko
• The case of the workers of the Konshinsky factory
• Zamyatnin case
• Case Zasulich (attributed to Plevako, in fact, P.A. Aleksandrov was the defender)

Biography

Fedor Plevako was born on April 13 (25), 1842 in the city of Troitsk, Orenburg province.

According to some information, F.N. Plevako was the son of a nobleman (Pole) and a Kyrgyz serf of Kaysat (Kazakh) origin. Father - court adviser Vasily Ivanovich Plevak, mother - serf Ekaterina Stepanova (nee "Ulmesek", from Kazakh "undying"). 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 in infancy. The patronymic Nikiforovich was taken by the name of Nikifor, the godfather of his older brother. Later, Fedor entered the university with his father's surname Plevak, and after graduating from the university he added the letter "o" to it, and he called himself with an emphasis on this letter: Plevako ?.

The Plevakov 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, especially Fedor became famous for his mathematical abilities. By the end of the first year of study, the names of the brothers were listed on the "golden board" of the school. And six months later, Fedor and Dormidont were expelled as illegitimate. In the autumn of 1853, thanks to their father's long troubles, 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 also entered the gymnasium, and also in the third grade. Many Russian figures who later became famous studied at the same school.

Plevako's advocacy 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 in Plevako's court speeches. They abound with texts of Holy Scripture and references to the teachings of the holy fathers. Nature endowed Plevako with a wonderful gift of words.

There was no speaker in Russia more peculiar. Plevako's first court speeches immediately revealed a huge oratorical talent. In the process of Colonel Kostrubo-Koritsky, heard in the Ryazan district court (1871), Plevako was opposed by the barrister prince A. I. Urusov, whose passionate speech excited the listeners. Plevako had to erase an unfavorable impression for the defendant. He countered the harsh attacks with sound objections, a calm tone, and a rigorous analysis of the evidence. In all its brilliance and original strength, Plevako's oratorical talent was shown in the case of Abbess Mitrofania, who was accused in the Moscow District Court (1874) of forgery, fraud and embezzlement of other people's property. In this process, Plevako acted as a civil plaintiff, denouncing hypocrisy, ambition, criminal inclinations under a monastic cassock. Also noteworthy is Plevako's speech on the case of a 19-year-old girl, Kachka, who was heard in the same court, in 1880, accused of killing a student Bayroshevsky, with whom she was in love.

Often, Plevako spoke in cases of factory riots and in his speeches in defense of workers accused of resisting the authorities, of rampaging and destroying factory property, aroused a feeling of compassion for unfortunate people, “exhausted by physical labor, with spiritual forces dead from inaction, in contrast to us , minions of fate, brought up from the cradle in the concept of goodness and in full prosperity. In his court speeches, Plevako avoided excesses, argued with tact, demanding from his opponents "equality in the struggle and battle with equal weapons." Being a speaker-improviser, relying on the power of inspiration, Plevako delivered, along with excellent speeches, relatively weak ones. Sometimes, in the same process, one speech of his was strong, the other was weak (for example, in the case of Merenville). In his younger years, Plevako was also engaged in scientific work: in 1874 he translated into Russian and published a course on Roman civil law Pukhta. After 1894, the famous singer L. V. Sobinov was his assistant. According to his political views, he belonged to the "Union of October 17".

Plevako owned an apartment building on Novinsky Boulevard, and this house was named as Plevako's house - and it is still called so.

Fedor Nikiforovich Plevako died on December 23, 1908 (January 5, 1909), at the age of 67, in Moscow. Plevako was buried with a huge gathering of people of all strata and conditions in the cemetery of the Sorrowful Monastery.

In 1929, it was decided to close the monastery cemetery, and organize a playground in its place. The remains of Plevako, by decision of the relatives, were reburied at the Vagankovsky cemetery. Since that time, an ordinary oak cross stood on the grave of the great Russian lawyer - until 2003, when an original bas-relief depicting F.N. Plevako was created with donations from famous Russian lawyers.

F.N. Plevako had two sons (from different wives), who were named the same - Sergey Fedorovich. Later, both Sergei Fedorovich Plevako became lawyers and practiced in Moscow, which often caused confusion.

In the history of the advocacy of the Russian Empire, there is no brighter personality than Fedor Nikiforovich Plevako, - a man who left a bright mark in the memory of his contemporaries. He deserved such an attitude with his great talent, and the name Plevako itself became synonymous with eloquence.

He was born on April 13, 1842 in the city of Troitsk, Orenburg province, into a noble family.

The future lawyer began his career as an intern at the Moscow District Court (from 1862-1864). From 1866 Plevako F.N. in the barrister's office: assistant barrister, since October 1870 barrister of the district of the Moscow Court of Justice.

Soon Plevako F.N. gained fame as an outstanding lawyer and court speaker.

Wit, resourcefulness, the ability to instantly respond to an opponent’s remark, to stun the audience with a cascade of unexpected images and comparisons, to the point of sarcasm - all these qualities were demonstrated by Plevako in abundance.

A characteristic feature of his speeches was improvisation, Plevako never prepared his speeches, but acted according to the situation based on the audience gathered, the place and time of the case. Journalists were constantly present at the processes with his participation, eagerly catching every word he said.

Plevako had a habit of starting all his speeches with the phrase: "Gentlemen, it could have been worse." He never changed his phrase. Once Plevako undertook to defend a man who had raped his daughter. The hall was full as usual, everyone was waiting for the lawyer to start his speech. Is it from a favorite phrase? Incredible. Plevako stood up and said coolly: “Gentlemen, it could have been worse.” The hall roared. The judge himself could not resist. “What,” he cried, “tell me, what could be worse than this abomination?” “Your honor,” Plevako asked, “what if he raped your daughter?”

The history of law practice included many cases involving Plevako, when his mind and ingenuity helped to achieve the desired result. Here are a few of them.

Once Plevako participated in the defense of an old woman whose fault was that she stole a tin kettle worth 50 kopecks. The prosecutor, knowing who would be acting as a lawyer, decided in advance to paralyze the influence of the defense lawyer’s speech, and he himself expressed everything that could be said in favor of the defendant: poor old woman, bitter need, insignificant theft, the defendant does not cause indignation, but only pity. But property is sacred, and if people are allowed to encroach on it / the country will perish. After listening to the prosecutor, Plevako got up and said: “Russia had to endure many troubles and trials during its more than a thousand-year existence. Pechenegs tormented her, Polovtsy, Tatars, Poles. Twelve languages ​​fell upon her, they took Moscow. Russia overcame everything, only grew stronger and grew from trials. But now, now... the old woman stole a teapot worth 50 kopecks. Russia, of course, will not be able to withstand this, it will perish irrevocably from this.

The old woman was justified.

Once Plevako defended a man whom a woman of easy virtue accused of rape and tried to get a significant amount, allegedly for the injury. At the same time, the plaintiff claimed that the defendant lured her into a hotel room and raped her there. The man said that everything was in good agreement. Plevako had the last word.

- Gentlemen of the jury, if you award my client 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 woman jumps up and shouts:

- Not true! I took off my shoes!

Laughter in the hall.

The defendant was acquitted.

The priest was tried. Guilt has been proven. The defendant himself confessed to everything and repented.

The defender, Plevako, stood up: “Gentlemen of the jury! The matter is clear. The prosecutor is absolutely right about everything. The defendant himself confessed to all the crimes. What is there to argue about? But I draw your attention to this. Before you sits a man who for thirty years has forgiven you for confession of your sins. Now he is waiting for you: “Will you forgive him his sins!?”

The priest was acquitted.

Plevako's personality combined integrity and sweepingness, nihilism and religiosity (Plevako was a lover and connoisseur of church chanting), simplicity in everyday life and rampant nobility (Plevako arranged feasts on specially chartered steamers from Nizhny Novgorod to Astrakhan). Taking huge fees from wealthy clients, Plevako defended the peasants of the village of Lutorichi, who had raised an uprising, free of charge (in addition, he paid the costs of maintaining all of them for the three weeks of the trial).

The Plevako House has always been the center of social and cultural life in Moscow at the end of the 10th century. I X beginning of XX century.

Plevako died on January 05, 1909 in Moscow. He was buried at the Vagankovsky cemetery.

One of the most famous lawyers in our history is Fedor Nikiforovich Plevako (1842 - 1908). He took part in the most famous processes of that time, including political ones, in particular, in the case of the Morozov strike of 1886.

Plevako was known for taking on the protection of both the rich and noble, and ordinary people, making no distinction between them and shining with his eloquence in the trials of the poor no less than in high-profile cases. Stories about the trials involving Plevako have survived to this day, turning into funny and witty anecdotes.

I took off my shoes!

Plevako defended a man accused of rape by a prostitute. The woman demanded a significant amount for the injury. The plaintiff alleged that the defendant lured her into a hotel room and raped her there. The man said that everything was in good agreement. The last word for Plevako.

"Gentlemen of the jury," he said. “If you award my client 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 prostitute jumps up and shouts: “It's not true! I took off my shoes!!!

Laughter in the hall. The defendant is acquitted.

15 years of unfair reproach

One day, Plevako got a case about the murder of his wife by one peasant. Plevako came to court as usual, calm and confident of success, and without any papers and cribs. And so, when the turn came to the defense, Plevako stood up and said:

The noise in the hall began to subside. Plevako 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 in the hall swept the discontented rumble of the long-awaited long-awaited spectacle of the people. And Plevako again:
- Gentlemen of the jury!

Here already the hall exploded with indignation, perceiving everything as a mockery of the respectable public. And from the podium again:

Gentlemen of the jury!

Something incredible has begun. The hall roared along with the judge, prosecutor and assessors. And finally, Plevako raised his hand, urging the people to calm down.

The hall froze, then burst into admiring applause. The man was acquitted.

20 minutes

Plevako's defense lawyer is very famous for the owner of a small shop, a semi-literate woman who violated the rules on trading hours and closed the trade 20 minutes later than it was supposed to, on the eve of some religious holiday. The court hearing in her case was scheduled for 10 o'clock. The court left 10 minutes late. Everyone was there, except for the defender - Plevako. The chairman of the court ordered to find Plevako. Ten minutes later, Plevako, without hurrying, entered the hall, calmly sat down at the place of protection and opened the briefcase. The chairman of the court reprimanded him for being late. Then Plevako pulled out his watch, looked at it and declared that it was only five past ten on his watch. The chairman pointed out to him that it was already 20 past ten on the wall clock. Plevako asked the chairman:

And how much is on your watch, Your Excellency?

The chairman looked and replied:

At my fifteen minutes past eleven.

Plevako turned to the prosecutor:

And on your watch, Mr. Prosecutor?

The prosecutor, obviously wishing to cause trouble for the defense counsel, replied with a sly smile:

It's already twenty-five past ten on my watch.

He could not know what kind of trap Plevako set up for him and how much he, the prosecutor, helped the defense.

The trial ended very quickly. Witnesses confirmed that the defendant closed the shop 20 minutes late. The prosecutor asked that the defendant be found guilty. The floor was given to Plevako. The speech lasted two minutes. He declared:

The defendant was indeed 20 minutes late. But, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, she is an old woman, illiterate, and does not know much about watches. We are literate and intelligent people. How are you doing with your watch? When the wall clock shows 20 minutes, the chairman has 15 minutes, and the prosecutor's clock has 25 minutes. Of course, the most faithful watch belongs to Mr. Prosecutor. So my watch was 20 minutes behind, which is why I was 20 minutes late. And I always considered my watch very accurate, because I have gold, Moser.

The jury deliberated for one minute and acquitted the defendant.

Absolution

Somehow one priest was tried for some offense. Plevako was asked before the court whether his defense speech was great? To which he replied that his entire speech would consist of one phrase.

And now, after the accusatory speech of the prosecutor, who demanded a decent punishment, it was the turn of the defense.
The lawyer stood up and said:

Lord! Remember how many sins the father absolved you in his life, so why don't we now absolve him of one and only sin?!!!

The audience's reaction was appropriate. Pop was acquitted.

Poor Russia!

One pillared noblewoman, being ruined, having lost her husband and son, deprived of her estate for debts, lived as a hostess with some lady, then rented a room, and since she did not have a kettle to boil water, she stole it in the market. And she was judged by the crown court (as a noblewoman).

The prosecutor, seeing Plevako, decided: “Yeah. Now he will beat for pity, for the fact that this is a poor woman who has lost her husband, gone bankrupt ... I'll play on this too. He came out and said: “Of course, I feel sorry for the woman, she lost her husband, son, etc., her heart bleeds, he himself is ready to go to prison instead of her, but ... Lord, the crown court. It's a matter of principle, she swung at the sacred foundation of our society - private property. Today she stole a kettle, and tomorrow a wagon, and the day after tomorrow something else. This is the destruction of the foundations of our state. And since everything starts small and grows into a huge one, that’s why I ask her to punish her, otherwise it threatens our state with huge disasters, the destruction of its foundations.

The prosecutor broke the applause. Plevako comes out to his place and suddenly turned around, went to the window, stood for a long time, looked. Hall in suspense: what is he watching? Plevako came out and said:

“Dear Crown Court! How many troubles Russia has undergone: Batu trampled it with horses, and the Teutonic knights raped mother Russia, twelve languages, led by Napoleon Bonaparte, approached and burned Moscow. How many misfortunes Russia has endured, but each time she rose, rose like a phoenix from the ashes. And now a new misfortune: the woman stole the teapot. Poor Russia! Is something going to happen to you now?"

Hall laughed. The woman was acquitted.

Don't dare to believe!

One Russian landowner ceded part of his land to the peasants, without formalizing it in any way. After many years, he changed his mind and took the land back. Outraged peasants rioted. They were put on trial. The jury consisted of the surrounding landowners, the rebels were threatened with hard labor. The famous lawyer Plevako undertook to defend them. He was silent throughout the whole process, and at the end demanded that the peasants be punished even more severely. "What for?" - did not understand the judge. Answer: "To forever wean the peasants from believing the word of a Russian nobleman." Some of the peasants were acquitted, the rest received minor punishments.

The Omen

Plevako is credited with the frequent use of the religious mood of jurors in the interests of clients. One day, speaking in a provincial district court, he agreed with the bell ringer of the local church that he would begin the evangelization for mass with special precision.

The speech of the famous lawyer lasted several hours, and at the end Plevako exclaimed:

If my client is innocent, the Lord will give a sign about it!

And then the bells rang. The jurors crossed themselves. The meeting lasted several minutes, and the foreman announced a verdict of not guilty.