Petr Vasilievich Polezhaev: lawyer, philanthropist, writer

Background. The most important problem of Russian historiography is the reconstruction of authentic biographical data of famous public figures of the Russian Empire. The purpose of the work is to study the administrative (legal), charitable and literary activities of the active Privy Councilor Petr Vasilievich Polezhaev, who lived in Penza, Ufa and Saint Petersburg. Materials and methods. The implementation of the project became possible on the basis of a comprehensive involvement of a wide range of sources, their comparison and critical analysis, which made it possible to superimpose genealogical information on information from archives and periodicals. This made it possible to understand the reasons and logic behind the career of P.V. Polezhaev. Results. Scientific biography of one of the most popular writers of the turn of the 19th–20th centuries. Until now, it has not been possible to create, primarily because of the peculiarities of the service of P.V. Polezhaev, information on which is scattered in various sources. The main, most fruitful period of activity of the lawyer P.V. Polezhaev fell on the time the family lived in Ufa (1858–1874). But almost the entire literary career took place in Saint Petersburg. Reconstruction of the overall picture made it possible to see the continuity and mutual conditioning of all stages of Polezhaev’s administrative and creative activities. Conclusions. A native of Penza province, Petr Vasilievich Polezhaev received a good education and began his career as a lawyer in his homeland. Then the family leaves for Ufa, where almost all children were born and raised, and Polezhaev makes a successful career, holding the positions of provincial prosecutor and head of the highest judicial body of the Ufa province – the Ufa Chamber of Criminal and Civil Court. The broad public interests of Polezhaev led him to the leadership of the oldest charitable structure in Ufa – the Ufa Trustee Committee for the Poor. Polezhaev's charitable service caused a wide resonance, he successfully implemented several projects, and in the memory of the inhabitants of Ufa, his name still remains as the creator of the Polezhaev shelter for poor students of the local male gymnasium. Having left Ufa due to problems in the service, Polezhaev in Saint Petersburg unexpectedly takes a great interest in literary creativity, his historical novels withstand three editions, disperse throughout the country. The artistic heritage of P.V. Polezhaev influenced subsequent generations of novelists, including modern cinema.