“Yesterday, the remarkable artist of the word, the greatest of Russian legal orators, fell silent forever.”
After reading this headline of a Moscow newspaper of the early 20th century, not everyone will be able to understand who will be discussed now, and those who know could already guess that it will be about Fedor Nikiforovich Plevako, a well-known Moscow lawyer, a perfectionist in oratory.
Let's start with the very origin of such a thing as oratory and jury trial.
In the course of judicial reforms under Alexander 2, when the New Judicial Statutes were approved, such a concept as a jury trial was born, and at the same time such a concept as advocacy appeared. A vivid example of the advocacy at that time in Russia was just the person who will be discussed now, namely Fedor Nikiforovich Plevako.

Fedor Nikiforovich was born on April 25 (13 according to the old style), 1842 in the city of Troitsk, Orenburg province (now the Chelyabinsk region) in the family of a member of the Trinity customs, court adviser Vasily Ivanovich Plevak.
Why Fedor himself decided to take the middle name Nikiforovich is still unclear.
The letter “O” at the end of his last name was also added by Fedor himself already at the University, and he demanded that his last name after that sound with an emphasis on “O”.
The very origin of the surname "Spitter (-o)" is interesting. Most likely it is formed from a similar nickname, which is related to the word "spit" in the sense of "look down". Accordingly, it can be assumed that the founder of the family was a proud, important person.
It is also possible that Plevako's surname is based on the nickname "Spitter", which is associated in meaning with the common noun "spit", that is, "a person who has the habit of often spitting." In this case, the nickname "Spitter" indicates the behavior of the ancestor. The change of the final “-a” to “-o” can be explained by the influence of the round dialects on the appearance of Plevako's surname.
The family of the future great lawyer was also unique in that Vasily Ivanovich's wife was Kalmyk or Kyrgyz (not exactly 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 all of us. 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 initially educated at home, from the age of seven Fedor began to attend the parish school, and from 8 to 9 years old he studied at the district school. For academic excellence, 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 at the white-stone. On Ostozhenka, they rented an apartment of several rooms and purchased furniture.
The boys were assigned to the first class of the Moscow Commercial School, located in the same place, on Ostozhenka. The brothers studied excellently, 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 educational institution in disgrace.
To continue their education, after much trouble, they were placed in the First (Polivanovskaya) gymnasium, located on Prechistenka, immediately in the third grade. Fedor graduated from the gymnasium, 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, his own style of speech.
Perhaps, faced with blatant injustice in childhood, Plevako chose his future professional path - to become a lawyer. That is why, after graduating from high school, Fedor enters the law faculty of Moscow State University. For the first three years of university, F. Plevako was listed as a volunteer, and only in the senior years did he begin to study full-time. Many researchers attribute this to the need to financially support an impoverished family, earning money by tutoring and translations. It was then that Fedor translated the book of the German lawyer G. F. Pukhta "The Course of Roman Civil Law". Later, having already become a well-known lawyer, he published a translation at his own expense, accompanied by numerous commentaries.
Living in Moscow, Fedor had a huge circle of friends. In courts, he showed that he knew for certain both the life of an ordinary cook and the life of a wealthy merchant.
In 1864, F. N. Plevako graduated from the university and, having received the degree of candidate of law, began looking for work. At the same time, the judicial reforms of Alexander II were under way. The judicial reform, perhaps the most progressive and consistent of the undertakings of Alexander II, proclaimed the principles of all-estate, openness and competitiveness of the parties. The formation of these principles in the judicial process required the creation of a new special institution - the bar (sworn attorneys). Plevako was one of the first to sign up as an assistant to the barrister M. I. Dobrokhotov. Having shown himself in criminal trials as a gifted lawyer, Fyodor Nikiforovich on September 19, 1870 was admitted to the sworn attorney of the district of the Moscow Court of Justice. Since that time, his brilliant ascent to the heights of advocacy glory began. Fedor's first client was a moneylender, to whom he gave things as collateral. Plevako lost the case. And this was the last case that Fedor Nikiforovich lost.
An interesting fact: Fedor Nikiforovich began any of his speeches at the trial with the words “Lord, it could have been worse!” Many tried on purpose to catch him, entrusting the most difficult cases so that he could not utter this phrase. Once, the case of a man who raped his own daughter was heard in court. The judge, having prepared 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!”
At the moment, a large number of lawyers are operating in Moscow. Most of them charge a lot of money for their services, even knowing that the people who apply to them may not have them. But if we remember Fedor Nikiforovich, we will see that this person was ready to take on any business and often absolutely free of charge. This is very different from many of today's lawyers. If we talk about protecting people in court, then we can safely say that Fedor Nikiforovich often did not adhere to the codes 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 light and convincing saying, according to which the court already passed 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 many of his witticisms and puns. He often set out his epigrams and parodies on paper. It is known that he was 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, artists and artists, including: M. A. Vrubel, K. A. Korovin, K. S. Stanislavsky, V. I. Surikov, F. I. Chaliapin, M N. Ermolova, L. V. Sobinov. From time to time, Plevako arranged grand dinners or concerts at home with the invitation of colleagues, scientists and artists.
Surprisingly, such a famous lawyer avoided political activity in every possible way. Only in 1905, at a time of general euphoria that gripped society after the release of the Manifesto on October 17, Plevako decided 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 "Octobrists" party and was elected from it as a deputy of the III State Duma. November 20, 1907 Plevako delivered a speech at the first session of the Duma.
Already during the election campaign, Fedor Nikiforovich was very unwell. He returned to Moscow from St. Petersburg so ill that in the spring of 1908 the doctors did not let him go to Karlsbad (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 was the best way to define Fyodor Nikiforovich as a judicial orator and as a person ... Plevako was a man of great intelligence , heart and talent, spontaneously powerful, not always even. All of Russia spoke 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 the Vagankovsky cemetery in Moscow.
On the day of his funeral, thousands of people came to see the great public defender on his last journey. Representatives of all classes of ranks walked in an endless funeral procession.

Despite the great importance of this man for Moscow, his memory was preserved only in the cemetery. October 17, 2003 at the Vagankovsky cemetery on the grave of the great Russian lawyer Fedor Nikiforovich Plevako, a monument was erected on the alley between the 5th and 6th sections.

Left - 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 her 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 lie, and I am sure that all Muscovites are glad that this mistake has finally been 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 lanes. In the "post-fire" house, built according to the "exemplary" project in 1817 by ensign E.F. Akinfieva, once lived the participants of the Patriotic War of 1812, the brothers Fedor and Nikolai Akinfiev. Since 1841, the house belonged to P.V. Havsky, and later, in the 1870s, to the famous lawyer F.N. Plevako. At the turn of the XIX-XX centuries, the house received a fashionable treatment, in which the influence of the emerging Art Nouveau style was felt. The decoration of the alley was the sculptures of Atlanteans and caryatids on the main facade.
In the early 1990s, the empty house gradually fell into disrepair: the decor collapsed, the mezzanine began to lean into the depths of the building. Despite the calls of historians and local historians to save a valuable monument of the history and culture of Moscow, the building restoration project was never implemented - Plevako's house was demolished. In 2003, he was excluded from the list of identified objects of cultural heritage "due to complete physical loss."

Unfortunately, now at Bolshoi Afanasevsky lane, 35/37 there is the most ordinary apartment building.

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. Once Plevako got a case about the murder of his wife by one peasant. The lawyer 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!
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.
2. Once Plevako defended an elderly priest accused of adultery and theft. 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 his sin?
There is no need to specify that the priest was acquitted.
3. And here is the case described by Fedor Nikiforovich himself.
Once a wealthy Moscow merchant turned to him for help. Plevako says: “I heard about this merchant. I decided that I would break such a fee that the merchant would be horrified. And he was not only not surprised, but also said:
- You just win my case. I'll pay what you said, and I'll give you pleasure.
- What is the 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 ten o'clock in the morning, I'll pick you up, let's go.
- Where at this early?
- Look, you'll see.
- It's Sunday. The merchant followed me. We are going to Zamoskvorechye. I wonder where he's taking me. There are no restaurants here, no gypsies. Yes, this is not the right time for this. Let's go down some lanes. There are no residential buildings around, only barns and warehouses. We drove up to a warehouse. A man is standing at the gate. Not a watchman, not an artel worker. Got down.
Kupchina asks the man:
- Ready?
“That’s right, your highness.
- Lead...
I'm going to the yard. The little man opened a door. Came in, look and do not understand anything. A huge room, on the walls of the shelves, on the shelves of dishes.
The merchant escorted the peasant out, stripped off his fur coat, and offered to take it off for me. I undress. The merchant went to a corner, took two hefty clubs, gave me one of them and said:
- Start.
- Yes, what to start?
- Like what? Dishes to beat!
- Why beat her? The merchant smiled.
- Start, you will understand why ... The merchant went up to the shelves and broke a bunch of dishes with one blow. I hit too. Also broke. We began to beat the dishes and, imagine, I went into such a rage and began to break dishes with a club with such fury that it’s even a shame to remember. Imagine that I really experienced some kind of wild, but spicy pleasure and could not calm down until the merchant and I smashed everything to the last cup. When it was all over, the merchant asked me:
- Well, did you enjoy it? I had to admit that I did."
This is where I will end my story. I hope you enjoyed learning about this great lawyer Fyodor Nikiforovich Plevako. Thank you for attention!

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.

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

F.N. Plevako is our countryman.

In the entire history of the domestic advocacy, there was no more popular person in it than F. N. Plevako. Both specialists, and the legal elite, and the townsfolk, the common people valued him above all lawyers as a "great orator", "genius of words", "senior hero" and even "metropolitan of the bar". His surname itself became a household name as a synonym for an extra-class lawyer: “I will find another “Spitter,” they said and wrote without any irony.” Letters to him were addressed as follows: “Moscow. Novinsky boulevard, own house. To the main defender Plevaka. Or simply: “Moscow. Fedor Nikiforovich.

Fedor Nikiforovich was born on April 25 (13 according to the old style), 1842 in the city of Troitsk, Orenburg province (now the Chelyabinsk region) in the family of a member of the Trinity customs, court adviser Vasily Ivanovich Plevak.

At the age of six, Fedor already freely read the fairy tales of A. S. Pushkin, the poems of M. Yu. Lermontov, the fables of I. A. Krylov, at the age of nine he began to show interest in the History of the Russian State by N. M. Karamzin. The father annually went on vacation to Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan and brought new books to his sons. The children received firsthome education, from the age of seven, Fedor began to attend a parish school, and from 8 to 9 years old he studied at a district school. For academic excellence, he was appointed class auditor.

Having retired in June 1851, V. I. Plevak 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 at the white-stone.

In Moscow, young Plevako continues his education at the gymnasium, located on Prechistenka, and immediately enters the third grade. After graduating from the gymnasium with a gold medal, Fedor enters the law faculty of Moscow State University.

By that time, Fyodor Nikiforovich's father had died. For the first three years of university, F. Plevako was listed as a volunteer, and only in the senior years did he begin to study full-time. Many researchers attribute this to the need to financially support an impoverished family, earning money by tutoring and translations. It was then that Fedor translated the book of the German lawyer G. F. Pukhta “The Course of Roman Civil Law”. Later, having already become a well-known lawyer, he published a translation at his own expense, accompanied by numerous commentaries.

In 1864, F. N. Plevako graduated from the university and, having received the degree of candidate of law, began looking for work. At that time, the main provisions of the judicial reform of 1864 were being approved. Later, Fyodor Nikiforovich recalled: “My comrades were from the sphere that bore lawlessness on their shoulders. These were raznochintsy or young people who got acquainted with science as "subjects" of young barchuks, who overtook them in mastering the course of sciences. We, the students, still had some idea of ​​the beginnings that the Judicial Reform carried;ongoing Judicial Reform". For six months, Plevako worked on a voluntary basis, writing documents for the newly formed institution, in the office of the chairman of the Moscow District Court, E.E. Luminarsky. The latter advised a capable employee to go to work in the bar.

Judicial reform, perhaps the most progressive and consistent of the undertakings of Alexander II, proclaimed the principles of all-estates, openness and competitiveness of the parties. The formation of these principles in the judicial process required the creation of a new special institution - the bar (sworn attorneys). Plevako was one of the first to sign up as an assistant (for independent work, one had to be over 25 years old and have at least 5 years of legal experience) to the barrister M. I. Dobrokhotov. Here he proved himself in criminal trials as a gifted lawyer and on September 19, 1870, he was admitted to the sworn attorney of the Moscow Court of Justice. Since that time, his brilliant ascent to the heights of advocacy glory began.

F. N. Plevako was one of those lawyers who began to develop the foundations of judicial rhetoric in Russia. He made many speeches in the courtroom, which later became public knowledge and passed from mouth to mouth. The lawyer countered the sharp attacks of his opponents in the trials with reasonable objections, a calm tone and a strict analysis of the evidence.

In their court F. Plevako touched on acute social issues in his speeches. For example, his participation in the defense of a group of "Lutoric" peasants (1880), Sevsk peasants (1905), participation in the case of the strike of the workers of the "S. Morozov Partnership" factory, who rebelled against inhuman exploitation (1886), was at that time a civil feat. At trials in the case of factory riots in defense of workers accused of resisting the authorities, of rioting and destroying factory property, Plevako aroused compassion in the audience for 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 full prosperity.

As a badge recognized F. N. Plevako received the rank of real state councilor (IV class, corresponding to the rank of major general in the table of ranks), hereditary nobility, was awarded an audience with the king. The increased fame and fees strengthened his financial position. Like other sworn attorneys, he had a staff of assistants. Plevako bought a two-story mansion on Novinsky Boulevard. The library was the decoration of the house. He was fond of books on history, law, philosophy and constantly took them with him on trips. Fyodor Nikiforovich was known for the fact that he did not refuse the court cases of the peasants, which he conducted, as a rule, for free.

F. N. Plevako was a sincere believer. In his home library, theological literature occupied the largest place. He served as a ktitor (church warden) in the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin. He tried to reconcile the views of L. N. Tolstoy with the dogmas of the official church, and in 1904, at a reception with Pope Pius X, he argued that God is one, which means that there should be one faith in the world, and Catholics and Orthodox are obliged to live in good harmony.

Fedor Nikiforovich loved and recalled his native city of Troitsk all his life: “I hardly see you, and even if I see you, there is little left in you of the old, dear. They tell me and confirm what was said by the sent album, that you grew up, got prettier, became a person with a position: instead of parish and district schools, you are Ukrainianwas a classical and female gymnasium, a real school. On the benches of your schools, Tatar, Kirghiz and Bashkir children sit next to Russian boys and girls and compete in success with the indigenous population, sometimes exposing such talented young men as any tribe in the fields of the boundless Russian kingdom would be proud of. There is a Russian city, and the Russian heart is beating in the chest of your chicks - my dear countrymen. Have you, my native city, preserved the seeds from this seed, so that the harvest of the one for the needs, for the salvation of Russia, deeds and ideals would not be reborn? ... And I want, and I’m afraid to see you after half a century of separation ”(Smolyarchuk, V. I. Lawyer Fyodor Plevako... .S. 18-19).

In 1901, he, a lawyer of all-Russian fame, acted in a local court as a defender of a wealthy and influential Kazakh in the city. The courtroom of the Trinity Court was full. Plevako carefully prepared for the performance at home. As a basis, he took the last phrase from the prosecutor's speech that the court is not afraid of the rich. According to Plevako, the prosecutor asked for a guilty verdict not because he was obviously guilty, but to prove the power of the court. Fedor Nikiforovich embellished his speech with quotations from the Gospel, references to judicial charters, and examples from the judicial practice of the West. The lawyer's two-hour speech captivated both the hall and the judges. The essence of the matter was satisfiedabout the complex: contradictory and false testimonies of witnesses, incorrect examination, which found out the cost of burnt bread. However, Plevako so skillfully “sorted everything out on the shelves” that the court decided the case without much difficulty and determined the measure of responsibility of the perpetrator.

F. N. Plevako was distinguished by a rare combination of the gift of improvisation and a sense of humor, which manifested itself in many of his witticisms and puns. He often set out his epigrams and parodies on paper. It is known that he was published in Moscow magazines under the pseudonym Bogdan Poberezhny. In 1885, he tried to publish his own newspaper Zhizn in Moscow, but quickly went bankrupt.

The circle of friends and acquaintances of the lawyer included writers, artists and artists, including: M. A. Vrubel, K. A. Korovin, K. S. Stanislavsky, V. I. Surikov, F. I. Chaliapin, M N. Ermolova, L. V. Sobinov. From time to time, Plevako arranged grand dinners or concerts at home with the invitation of colleagues, scientists and artists.

Our great compatriot devoted almost forty years to human rights activities. Excellent examples of his judicial oratory entered the golden fund of Russian culture, became its historical spiritual heritage. diem.

Shortly before his death, Plevako became involved in political life and became a deputy of the 3rd State Duma from the Octobrist Party. Is it any wonder that after 1917 they tried to forget about him, taking into account the unflattering review of Plevako in one of the articles by V.I. Lenin, dedicated to proving the reactionary essence of the program of the Octobrist Party.

Indeed, Plevako believed in the tsar's Manifesto of October 17, 1905, but it is absurd to consider him a reactionary. His ideals have always been universal human culture and the dignity of the human person. He had all-Russian recognition, but he never enjoyed love in the highest dignitary circles for his audacity and protection of the poor, for his commitment to truth and law. “Up there,” he said from the podium of the Tauride Palace, “luxury reigns and gorges itself, indifferently listening to stories about a starving and humiliated brother, whose labor is reviving Russia ... Let us replace the songs about freedom with the songs of free workerswho are called by history to erect palaces of law and freedom in a renewed Russia!”

Plevako's last speeches became his testament to the future, which he warned against revolutionary surgery and drew attention to the old truth: history repeats itself, and not necessarily as a farce, but maybe as an even greater tragedy. It turned out that not only contemporaries, but also us, the distant descendants of Plevako, needed his polished arguments about the advantages of humane legislation over cruel punishments, his idea of ​​truth and right for a country ruled for centuries by unlimited administrative violence.

On December 23, 1908, sad news swept over Moscow: Plevako had died. On the day of his funeral, thousands of people came to see the great public defender on his last journey. Representatives of all classes and ranks walked in an endless funeral procession. People were united not only by a feeling of deep sorrow and deep gratitude, they understood: on such sons of Russia as F.N. Plevako, and in the memory of them Russia is kept. Today I would like to believe that it will continue to hold on to the greatness of this memory. F.N. Plevako was buried at the Vagankovsky cemetery.

The name of the great lawyer is not forgotten even today, in 1996, in memory of the outstanding fellow countryman, the Chelyabinsk Regional Bar Association established an annual award named after F.N. Plevako with a diploma, a badgeas well as a bronze bust, a photograph of the laureate is placed on a special stand in the office of the chamber, in 1997 the lawyers' community of Russia established the Gold Medal named after F.N. Plevako, and in 2003 the Silver Medal named after F.N. members of the legal community of Russia, as well as state, public and political figures, legal scholars, journalists, cultural figures, educational institutions and the media for their major contribution to the development of the legal profession and human rights activities. In 2003, a Diploma was established with the award of a bronze bust to F.N. Plevako.

A conference dedicated to the 165th anniversary of the birth of F.N. Plevako was held in Troitsk and Chelyabinsk

April 26 marks the 165th anniversary of the birth of the great Russian lawyer Fyodor Nikiforovich Plevako. In e that day in the homeland of the court speaker on the building of the former District Cossack Court (now still urban administration), where Plevako spoke in one of the trials, a memorial plaque was installed.

The initiator of the celebrations was the Chamber of Lawyers Chelyabinswhich area. beginning would lo was supported by the Federal Chamber of Lawyers of the Russian Federation. Pay tribute to the memory of the great predecessorlawyers from many Russian regions and descendants of the F.N. Plevako - Natalia Sergeevna Plevako and Marina Sergeevna Martynova-Savchenko.

The participants of the celebration were greeted by the mayor of Troitsk M.I. Blueok. He noted that the name of Plevako is as dear to Troitsk as the name of the founder of the city, Count Neplyuev. The opening of the memorial plaque on the building of the city administration is not only a memorable, but also a deeply symbolic act. Lawyers of the Chamber of Advocates of the Chelyabinsk Region and residents of Troitsk are unanimous in assessing the merits of their eminent countryman. And the city leadership, paying tribute to Fedor Nikiforovich Plevako, also expresses its respect for fundamental democratic and human values: the rule of law, guarantees for everyone of qualified legal assistance in protecting their rights, protecting good name, honor and dignity.

The participants of the conference supported the proposal of the Chelyabinsk lawyers to hold corporate events every five years in the homeland of Fedor Nikiforovich Plevako, aimed at cultivating the best traditions of the Russian legal profession.

The name of the lawyer has become a household name far beyond the borders of the Russian Empire. Fedor Plevako became famous not only for his professionalism and deep knowledge of the laws, but also for his virtuoso command of the word and oratorical talent. People came to court sessions with his participation as a spectacular event, exciting and arousing emotions.

“Metropolitan of the Bar”, “Pushkin in jurisprudence”, “genius of the word” - as soon as Plevako was not called by colleagues and the common people, which Fyodor Nikolayevich often defended for free. The imagery and richness of speech, the skillful construction of sentences, the composition of the text and the emotional coloring attached to it were admired by another genius of the word -.

“Dictation climbs into the very soul, fire looks out of the eyes ... No matter how much Plevako speaks, you can always listen to him without boredom ...”, the writer said.

Childhood and youth

A talented lawyer was born in the spring of 1842 in the 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 in relation to the father they came to a common denominator, calling him an exiled Polish nobleman with the rank of court adviser, then the nationality of the mother is still not known for certain today. Some sources call her a Kalmyk, others - a Kyrgyz, others - a Kazakh serf, who nevertheless came from a rich and noble family.

Fedor Plevako in his youth and his mother

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, emphasizing it).

Parents lived in a civil marriage, not consecrated by the church and official seals. Four offspring appeared in the family, of which two sons survived - Fedor and Dormidont. The children were illegitimate, which later affected the biography. They received their patronymic 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 in commercial and technical universities in Russia. In the very first year of study, the names of the Plevak brothers adorned the honor roll, 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 the children into the 1st Moscow gymnasium, which was located on Prechistenka. Following the results of the exams, the boys were immediately assigned to the 3rd grade.

After graduating from high school, Fedor Plevak became a student at Moscow University, choosing law. The diploma of the graduate already had a new surname, by which the lawyer is known today.

Jurisprudence

After graduating from the university, Plevako's professional career developed rapidly. In 1964, a young lawyer with a Ph.D. in law trained for six months in the metropolitan district court, waiting for a suitable vacancy.

This turned up in the spring of 1866. At that time, a jury advocacy appeared in Russia, and Fedor Plevako became one of the first in the capital who was taken 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 bar” lost the first case, and his client was exiled to Siberia. But the speech of the young lawyer made a strong impression on the judges. Fyodor Plevako demonstrated a virtuoso ability to work with the testimony of witnesses.

In the autumn of 1870, Plevako himself was already a juror at the Judicial Chamber of the Metropolitan District Court. From that moment on, “golden” pages began to appear one after another in the biography of the lawyer. The court speeches of the “genius of the word” were analyzed into quotations. But after 2 years, Plevako's brilliant career was almost interrupted: the human rights activist fell under the suspicion of the head of the provincial gendarmerie as an active member of a secret legal society. He was charged with propagating revolutionary ideas among students.

Fyodor Plevako's book "Selected Speeches"

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

A successful lawyer improved his financial situation and bought a house in Bolshoi Afanasevsky Lane. His fame thundered in Moscow and throughout the country, and among the admirers of the talent of a lawyer were all classes of citizens: Plevako defended both rich clients and the poor with equal zeal. He did not take any money from the latter and even paid court costs.

There were legends about the oratory of the master of law, and interesting facts of the biography and the most entertaining places in court speeches were passed from mouth to mouth. Later, Fedor Plevako published a book in which he published his most high-profile speeches at 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.

Once Fyodor Plevako had to speak out against the thieving abbess, who was accused of forgery and theft of money. The lawyer was not afraid of the wrath of the clergy and denounced the servant of the temple, pointing out the hypocrisy and bribery hidden under the nun's cassock.

Documentary film "Three Secrets of Lawyer Plevako"

At the end of 1874, a high-profile trial took place in the district court of the capital, at which Fedor Nikiforovich defended a girl who arrived in Moscow and settled in a hotel. At night, a crowd of drunken men burst into the room of the unfortunate woman, fleeing from whom she jumped out of the window of the third floor. Fortunately, Plevako's client only broke her arm when she fell into a snowdrift.

The defenders of the criminal company insisted on the innocence of the wards, arguing that the men did not harm the girl, but she jumped out of the window herself.

Fyodor Plevako (center) with colleagues

Then Fedor Plevako resorted to an instructive analogy, talking about the behavior of an ermine fleeing a chase. If a dirty puddle happened on the way to salvation, the animal preferred to die, but not to stain the snow-white fur.

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

The judges punished the men by giving them a guilty verdict.

On account of Fyodor Plevako, over two hundred won trials, among which was the industrialist's case, which was heard in the summer of 1900. He was taken into custody for failing to return 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 construction contract came from the Russian government.

Mamontov spent all his savings, but they were not enough. Counting on the help of the government and the "financial" minister did not materialize.

The lawyer managed 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 oratory. 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 litigation.

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

The outbreak of romance forced Fedor and Maria to give a damn about conventions and settle under the same roof. Soon the couple had a daughter, Barbara. Behind her appeared a boy - the son of 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. Fedor Plevako had to register the children as abandoned, and then adopt them.

Both Sergeys became lawyers, like their father, but they failed to repeat his fame.

Death

The man died at the age of 66 in December 1908. The cause of death was a heart attack.

On his last journey, Fyodor Nikiforovich was led by a huge procession, in which people of different classes and wealth mixed up.

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

In the late 1920s, the cemetery was destroyed, and a playground for children was built on the burial site. The remains of Plevako were transferred to Vagankovskoye, hoisting a wooden cross on the lawyer's grave. Only in 2003, the Russian Bar Association raised money for a tombstone and a bas-relief with the face of Fyodor Plevako.

For 2019, the release of the detective-historical series "Winners" was announced, in which the role of "Pushkin in jurisprudence" went to.