Brief judicial speeches by F.N. Spit. Plevako Fedor Nikiforovich Plevako interesting facts

home

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

Orenburg province

According to some reports, F.N. Plevako was the son of a nobleman and a serf. Father - court councilor Vasily Ivanovich Plevak, mother - Ekaterina Stepanova. The parents were not in an official church marriage, so their two children - Feodor and Dormidont - were considered illegitimate. In 1851, the Plevakov family moved to Moscow. In the fall the brothers were sent to 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, their names were entered on the “golden board” of the school, but six months later Fedor and Dormidont were expelled as illegitimate. In the fall of 1853, thanks to their father’s efforts, they were admitted to the 1st Moscow Gymnasium on Prechistenka - straight into the 3rd grade.

In 1864, Fyodor Plevako completed a course at the Faculty of Law of Moscow University, receiving a candidate of law degree.

He was also engaged in scientific work - he translated into Russian and published in 1874 a course on Roman civil law by the German lawyer G.F. Pukhty.

In 1870, Plevako joined the ranks of sworn attorneys of the Moscow Court Chamber and 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 indigent clients. Plevako's career took place in Moscow, which left its mark on him. The religious mood of the Moscow population and the city’s eventful past resonated in the lawyer’s court speeches. They are full of texts Holy Scripture

Examples of judicial eloquence were Plevako’s speeches in the case of Abbess Mitrofaniya, who participated in forgery, fraud and misappropriation of other people’s property (Plevako acted as a civil plaintiff), in defense of Bartenev in the case of the murder of artist Visnovskaya (this case served as the basis for I. A. Bunin’s story “The Case of the Cornet” Elagin"), in defense of Kachka, a 19-year-old girl suspected of murdering student Bairoshevsky, with whom she was in a love affair. Fyodor Nikiforovich Plevako spoke in cases of peasant unrest, factory unrest (about a strike at the factory of the Partnership of S. Morozov), in defense of workers accused of resisting the authorities and destroying factory property.

Since 1907 - 3rd deputy State Duma from the Octobrist party. He was a member of the Union of October 17 (Octobrists) party, a right-wing liberal political association.

Plevako's circle of friends and acquaintances included writers, actors and artists: Mikhail Vrubel, Konstantin Korovin, Konstantin Stanislavsky, Vasily Surikov, Fyodor Chaliapin, Maria Ermolova, Leonid Sobinov.

Facts about Plevako's career- well-known political processes:

• The Case of the Luthorian Peasants (1880)
• The Case of the Sevsky Peasants (1905)
• The case of the strike of factory workers of the S. Morozov Partnership (1886) and others.
• Bartenev case
• Gruzinsky's case
• Lukashevich case
• Maksimenko case
• The case of the Konshin factory workers
• Zamyatnin case
• Zasulich case (attributed to Plevako, in fact the defense lawyer was P. A. Alexandrov)

Others Interesting Facts:

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

• By alternative biography, described, for example, in V. Pikul’s short story “Not from the Nettle Seed,” F. N. Plevako’s father was an exiled Polish revolutionary.

He died on December 23, 1908 (January 5, 1909), at the age of 67, in Moscow. The famous lawyer was buried in the cemetery of the Sorrow Monastery. In 1929, it was decided to close the monastery cemetery and organize a children's playground in its place. Plevako’s remains, by decision of his relatives, were reburied at the Vagankovskoye cemetery.

IN this moment existsNon-profit partnership "Foundation for Historical and cultural heritage domestic jurisprudence named after F.N. Spit.”

The main goal of the Partnership is to preserve and popularize the historical and cultural heritage of the legal profession of the outstanding Russian lawyer F.N. Plevako, as well as assistance to members of the Partnership in carrying out activities aimed at achieving the above goal.

Fyodor Nikiforovich Plevako (April 25, 1842, Troitsk - January 5, 1909, Moscow) - the most famous lawyer in pre-revolutionary Russia, lawyer, court speaker, actual state councilor. He acted as a defense attorney in many high-profile political and civil trials.

Possessing a lively mind, truly Russian ingenuity and eloquence, he won legal victories over his opponents. In the legal community, he was even nicknamed “Moscow Chrysostom.” There is a selection of the most concise and vivid court speeches of a lawyer, which do not contain complex and confusing judicial terms. If you develop your oratory skills, structure and rhetorical techniques F.N. Plevako can help you with this.

The defense of the owner of a small shop, a semi-literate woman, by lawyer F.N. Plevako, who violated the rules on trading hours and closed the trade 20 minutes later than expected, on the eve of some event, is very well known. religious holiday. The court hearing in her case was scheduled for 10 o'clock. The court left 10 minutes late. Everyone was present, except for the defender - Plevako. The chairman of the court ordered to find Plevako. About 10 minutes later, Plevako slowly entered the hall, calmly sat down in the place of protection and opened his briefcase. The chairman of the court reprimanded him for being late. Then Plevako pulled out his watch, looked at it and stated that it was only five minutes past ten on his watch. The chairman pointed out to him that it was already 20 minutes past ten on the wall clock. Plevako asked the chairman:

- What time is on your watch, Your Excellency?

The chairman looked and replied:

- At my fifteen minutes past ten.

Plevako turned to the prosecutor:

- What about your watch, Mr. Prosecutor?

The prosecutor, clearly wanting to cause trouble for the defense attorney, replied with a malicious smile:

“It’s already twenty-five minutes past ten on my watch.”

He could not know what trap Plevako had set for him and how much he, the prosecutor, helped the defense. The judicial investigation ended very quickly. Witnesses confirmed that the defendant closed the shop 20 minutes late. The prosecutor asked to find the defendant guilty. The floor was given to Plevako. The speech lasted two minutes. He declared:

— 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. So if Mr. Chairman, according to the prosecutor’s watch, opened the hearing 15 minutes late, and the defense attorney arrived 20 minutes later, then how can you demand that an illiterate tradeswoman have a better watch and have a better understanding of time than the prosecutor and I?— The jury deliberated for one minute and acquitted the defendant.

One day Plevako received a case regarding the murder of his woman by a man. Plevako came to court as usual, calm and confident of success, and without any papers or cheat sheets. And so, when it was time for 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!

At this point the audience exploded with indignation, perceiving everything as a mockery of the respectable audience. And from the podium 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 the unfair reproaches and irritated nagging of his grumpy woman for 15 years over every insignificant trifle?!

The audience froze, then burst into delighted applause. The man was acquitted.

He once 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 short: “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 himself. What is there to argue about? But I draw your attention to this. Sitting in front of you is a man who gave you thirty years of freedom Confess your sins. Now he is waiting for you: will you forgive him his sin?”

There is no need to clarify that the priest was acquitted.

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 hard life client who forced her to take such a step. The prosecutor even emphasized that the criminal evokes pity, not indignation. But, gentlemen, private property is sacred, the world order is based on this principle, so if you justify this grandmother, then logically you must justify the revolutionaries too. The jury nodded their heads in agreement, and then Plevako began his speech. He said: “Russia had to endure many troubles, many trials for more than a thousand years of existence. The Pechenegs tormented it, the Polovtsy, the Tatars, the Poles. Twelve languages ​​fell upon it, took Moscow. Russia endured everything, overcame everything, only grew stronger and grew from the trials. But now ... An old woman stole an old teapot worth 30 kopecks. Russia, of course, cannot stand this, it will perish irrevocably...”

The old woman was acquitted.

In addition to the story about famous lawyer Spit. He defends a man who has been accused of rape by a prostitute and is trying to get a significant amount from him in court for the injury he caused. Facts of the case: the plaintiff claims that the defendant took her to a hotel room and raped her there. The man declares that everything was by good agreement. The last word for Plevako. "Gentlemen of the jury,"- he declares. “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 prostitute jumps up and shouts: "It's not true! I took off my shoes!!!"

There is laughter in the hall. The defendant is acquitted.

To the great Russian lawyer F.N. Plevako is credited with frequently using 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 ringing the bell for mass with special precision. The speech of the famous lawyer lasted several hours, and at the end F.N. 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 not guilty verdict.

The present case was considered by the Ostrogozhsky District Court on September 29-30, 1883. Prince G.I. Gruzinsky was accused of the premeditated murder of his children’s former tutor, who later managed the estate of Gruzinsky’s wife, E.F. Schmidt. The preliminary investigation established the following. After Gruzinsky demanded that his wife end all relations as a tutor, he very quickly became close to his wife, with the tutor, and he himself was fired, the wife declared the impossibility of further living with Gruzinsky and demanded the allocation of part of the property belonging to her. Having settled in the estate allocated to her, she invited E.F. to join her as her manager. Schmidt. After the partition, Gruzinsky’s two children lived for some time with their mother in the same estate where Schmidt was the manager. Schmidt often used this to take revenge on Gruzinsky. The latter had limited opportunities for meetings with children; the children were told a lot of incriminating things about Gruzinsky. As a result, being constantly in a tense nervous state during meetings with Schmidt and with children, Gruzinsky killed Schmidt during one of these meetings, shooting him several times with a pistol.

Plevako, defending the defendant, very consistently proves the absence of intent in his actions and the need to qualify them as committed in a state of insanity. He focuses on the prince’s feelings at the time of the crime, his relationship with his wife, and his love for his children. He tells the story of the prince, about his meeting with the “clerk from the store”, about his relationship with the old princess, about how the prince took care of his wife and children. The eldest son was growing up, the prince was taking him to St. Petersburg, to school. There he falls ill with a fever. The prince experiences three attacks, during which he manages to return to Moscow: “A tenderly loving father and husband wants to see his family.”

“It was then that the prince, who had not yet left his bed, had to experience terrible grief. Once he hears - the sick are so sensitive - in the next room the conversation between Schmidt and his wife: they, apparently, are arguing; but their quarrel is so strange: as if they were scolding their own people, and not strangers, then again the speeches are peaceful..., uncomfortable... The prince gets up, gathers his strength..., walks when no one expected him, when they thought that he was chained to the bed... And why are the dear ones scolding - only amusing themselves: Schmidt and the princess are together. , it’s not good together... The prince fainted and lay on the floor all night. Those caught fled, not even thinking of sending help to the sick man. The prince could not kill the enemy, he was weak... He only accepted the misfortune into his open heart, so that it would never happen to him. not to know separation."

Plevako claims that he would not yet have dared to accuse the princess and Schmidt, to condemn them to the prince’s sacrifice, if they had left, had not boasted of their love, had not insulted him, had not extorted money from him, what is this "It would be a hypocrisy of words." The princess lives in her half of the estate. Then she leaves, leaving the children with Schmidt. The prince is angry: he takes the children. But here something irreparable happens. “Schmidt, taking advantage of the fact that the children’s underwear is in the princess’s house where he lives, rejects the demand with an oath and sends an answer that without 300 rubles as a deposit he will not give the prince two shirts and two pants for the children. The hanger-on, the hired lover, comes between the father and children and dares to call him a man who can waste children’s underwear, takes care of children and demands a deposit of 300 rubles from the father.

The next morning the prince saw children in wrinkled shirts. “Father’s heart sank. He turned away from these talking eyes and - which fatherly love will not do - went out into the hallway, got into the carriage prepared for him for the trip and went ... went to ask his rival, enduring shame and humiliation, for a shirt for his children.” . At night, according to witnesses, Schmidt loaded the guns. The prince had a pistol with him, but this was a habit, not an intention. "I affirm- said Plevako, - that an ambush awaits him there. Linen, refusal, bail, loaded guns of large and small caliber - everything speaks for my thought." He goes to Schmidt. “Of course, his soul could not help but be indignant when he saw the nest of his enemies and began to approach it. Here it is - the place where, in the hours of his grief and suffering, they - his enemies - laugh and rejoice at his misfortune. Here it is - a lair where the honor of the family, his honor, and all the interests of his children were sacrificed to the animal voluptuousness of the scoundrel. Here it is - a place where not only was his present happiness taken away, but his past happiness was also taken away, poisoning him with suspicions... God forbid. to experience such moments! In such a mood, he approaches the house, knocks on the door. The footman tells him not to accept it, but instead of fulfilling his legal demand, he tells him that he needs nothing. , finally, polite refusal, he hears abuse, abuse from the lips of his wife’s lover, directed towards him, who does not do any insult on his part. Have you heard about this swearing: “Let the scoundrel leave, don’t you dare knock, this is my house! Get out, I’ll shoot.” The prince's entire being was indignant. The enemy stood close and laughed so brazenly. The prince could have known that he was armed from his family, who had heard from Tsybulin. And the prince could not help but believe that he was capable of everything evil.” He shoots. "But listen, gentlemen,- says the defender, - was there a living place in his soul at that terrible moment." "The prince could not cope with these feelings. They're too legal. The husband sees a man ready to desecrate the purity of the marriage bed; the father is present at the scene of the seduction of his daughter; the high priest sees the impending blasphemy - and, besides them, there is no one to save the law and the shrine. What rises in their souls is not a vicious feeling of malice, but a righteous feeling of vengeance and defense of the violated right. It is legal, it is holy; “If it doesn’t rise, they are despicable people, pimps, blasphemers!”

Concluding his speech, Fyodor Nikiforovich said: “Oh, how happy I would be if, having measured and compared with your own understanding the strength of his patience and struggle with himself, and the power of the oppression over him of the soul-disturbing pictures of his family misfortune, you admitted that he cannot be charged with the accusation brought against him, and his defender is all around to blame for his insufficient ability to fulfill the task he has taken on...”

The jury returned a not guilty verdict, finding that the crime was committed in a state of insanity.

Another time, a wealthy 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 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...

Let's 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 me to take it off. I undress. The merchant came 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 will understand why...

The merchant approached 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."

Thank you for your 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 complete his studies - Plevako and his brother were expelled from 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-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 inner beauty, visible now in the general animated expression, now in a kind, lion-like smile, now in the fire and sparkle of speaking 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

This is how Anton Pavlovich Chekhov described the famous lawyer: “Plevako comes up to the music stand, looks at the jury for half a minute and begins to speak. His speech is even, soft, sincere. Figurative expressions, good thoughts and many 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 trial. 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,<…>lawlessness, 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.

Fedor Nikiforovich Plevako. Born on April 13 (25), 1842 in Troitsk, Orenburg province - died on December 23, 1908 (January 5, 1909) in Moscow. Russian lawyer, jurist, judicial speaker, active state councilor.

Father - Vasily Ivanovich Plevak, customs official, court adviser.

Mother - Ekaterina Stepanova. According to one version - Kalmyk, according to another - Kyrgyz, according to the third - Kazakh.

Fedor's parents were not married. A total of four children were born, but only two sons survived - Fedor and Dormidont.

According to legend, after giving birth to Fyodor, the mother wanted to drown herself, but the boy screamed and Catherine came to her senses, they remained alive.

The patronymic Nikiforovich was taken from 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 called himself with an emphasis on the last letter - Plevako.

In the summer of 1851, the family moved to Moscow. The brothers were sent to the Commercial School on Ostozhenka. They studied well. Fyodor was especially good at mathematics. 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. In the same year, Pyotr Kropotkin entered this gymnasium. 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 Bolshoi Afanasyevsky Lane (the house was demolished in 1993).

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 found a response in Plevako’s court speeches. They are replete with texts of Holy Scripture and references to the teachings of the Holy Fathers. Nature has endowed Plevako with a wonderful gift of speech.

He was an excellent speaker. First judicial speeches Plevako immediately discovered 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.

On December 14, 1874, the Moscow District Court heard the case about the event at the Montenegro Hotel. Its essence was simple. The girl arrived in Moscow and checked into a hotel. Long after midnight, a group of drunken men knocked on her room, located on the third floor. The girl refused the strict demand to let them in. Then they began to break down the door. At the very moment when the door cracked, a girl in only a nightgown jumped out of the window onto the street in twenty-five degree frost. Luckily for her, she fell into a snowdrift and survived, although she broke her arm. When considering the case in court, the prosecution resolutely refused to understand what the crime of the men's company was. After all, the girl jumped out of the window voluntarily and without coercion. Plevako, who defended the interests of the victim, said: “In distant Siberia, in the dense taiga, there is an animal, which fate has awarded with a fur coat as white as snow. This is an ermine. When he is fleeing from an enemy who is ready to tear him to pieces, he encounters a dirty puddle on his way, which he has no time to pass; he prefers to die rather than dirty his snow-white fur coat. And I understand why the victim jumped out the window.” Without saying another word, Plevako sat down. A jury convicted a group of men.

On March 23, 1880, the Moscow District Court heard the case of Praskovya Kachka, who killed her lover Bayrashevsky out of jealousy. The essence of the matter was simple. On March 15, 1879, at a youth party, Praskovya became jealous of her lover and her friend Natalya Skvortsova. Beside herself with rage, she shot him. Realizing what she had done, Kachka tried to commit suicide, but was unable to do so. The court qualified her actions as murder out of jealousy. At the trial, Plevako gave a full and clear psychological analysis the accused - orphan childhood, poverty, deceived love. And then he addressed the jury: “Open your arms, I give her to you. Do what your conscience tells you. If your heart tells you that she has washed away sin, resurrect her. Let your sentence be her rebirth to a better, wiser life. Judge not with hatred, but with love, if you want the truth. May truth and mercy meet your decision.” The court placed Praskovya Kachka in the hospital for treatment.

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 , 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.

He won more than two hundred trials, including the trial of Savva Mamontov. His case was heard in the Moscow District Court in July 1900. Industrialist and philanthropist Savva Ivanovich Mamontov commissioned Russian government began construction in 1894 railway from Vologda to Arkhangelsk. He invested all his savings in it, but it was not enough. I had to borrow from banks. He hoped for the support of Finance Minister Witte, who, by government decree, gave him a contract for the construction of the St. Petersburg-Vologda-Vyatka railway. And everything could have worked out if the government had not suddenly abandoned its obligations. It revoked the concession to build the road.

Mamontov found himself in debt, and shareholders demanded payment of dividends on their shares. The industrialist could not do this. Savva Ivanovich was arrested and taken to Taganskaya prison. During a search in his apartment, 53 rubles were found with a note: “I am leaving with the knowledge that I did not intentionally do anything evil.” At the trial, it became clear that the money was used for business and not for personal needs. The lawyer’s speech at the trial was, as always, brilliant and convincing: “This man is accused of willfully stealing millions. But theft and appropriation leave traces. Or is his past full of crazy luxury? Or the present of unrighteous self-interest? We know that no one, from the prosecution to the most malicious witness, pointed this out. These people believed in him. They believed in his plans, in his star. He was brought up in a wide school entrepreneurial activity, first of all, inspired by the idea of ​​​​social benefit, success and glory of the Russian cause. He made a lot of mistakes, but these are human mistakes. Mamontov had no malicious intent.”

By a court decision, Mamontov was released from custody on the same day.

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”.

Plevako owned a group of apartment buildings on Novinsky Boulevard; house 18A, built by order of Plevako by the architect Mikini, was called “Plevako’s house”, retained its exterior and interior layout until the 21st century and in 2018 received protected status.

Fyodor Nikiforovich Plevako died on December 23, 1908 (January 5, 1909), at the age of 67, in Moscow. Plevako was buried in front of a huge crowd of people of all walks of life and conditions in the cemetery of the Sorrowful Monastery. In 1929, it was decided to close the monastery cemetery and organize a children's playground in its place. Plevako’s remains, by decision of his relatives, were reburied at the Vagankovskoye cemetery. From then on, 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.

Three secrets of lawyer Plevako

Personal life of Fedor Plevako:

Was married twice.

He had two sons from different wives, whose names were the same - Sergei Fedorovich. Later, both Sergei Fedorovich Plevako became lawyers and practiced in Moscow, which often caused confusion.

The second wife is Maria Andreevna Demidova. I met her during divorce proceedings. Maria was divorcing millionaire Vasily Demidov from the famous clan of “linen kings”. In her marriage to the merchant Demidov, Maria Andreevna had five legitimate children. 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.

At first they lived in an illegal marriage - Maria was formally still Demidov’s wife. They had a daughter, Varvara. According to all the laws of that time, Varvara was documented to be Demidov’s daughter. Then son Vasily appeared.

The divorce proceedings lasted 20 years and Plevako lost it.

He registered his daughter Varvara and son Vasily as foundlings, and then adopted them. But the merchant Demidov did not care about all his experiences, he even refused money for his “freedom” to his ex-wife. The situation was resolved by nature itself - the merchant Demidov died. Plevako himself wrote in a letter to a friend: “Well, my longest twenty-year and most unsuccessful trial ended by itself. Vasily Demidov died. It's a pity, of course, he was a good man. Only very stubborn, he never gave me a divorce. Demidov washed his face, needless to say. Didn't let me win the case. But I don't hold it against him. We should schedule a wedding.”

Plevako owned a group of apartment buildings on Novinsky Boulevard; house 18A, built by order of Plevako by the architect Mikini, was called “Plevako’s house”, retained its exterior and interior layout until the 21st century and in 2018 received protected status.

The image of Fyodor Plevako in the cinema:

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.

Fedor Plevako in his youth and his mother

Father of the future luminary Russian Bar Association name was 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 in commercial and technical universities 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 2 years later, Plevako’s brilliant career was almost interrupted: the human rights activist came under suspicion of the head of the provincial gendarmerie as an active member of a secret Law Society. He was accused of promoting revolutionary ideas among students.

Book by Fyodor Plevako "Selected Speeches"

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 improved his financial situation and bought a house on 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. WITH last money did not take and even paid legal expenses.

About oratory The master of law was legendary, and interesting biographical facts 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.

Documentary"Three secrets of lawyer Plevako"

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.

Fedor Plevako (center) with colleagues

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.

IN last way Fyodor Nikiforovich was accompanied 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 the burial site was rebuilt playground for children. Plevako’s remains were transferred to Vagankovskoye, and a wooden cross was erected on the lawyer’s grave. Only in 2003, the Russian lawyer's fraternity 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.