The famous lawyer plevako biography. Fedor Nikiforovich plevako court speeches

Health 28.08.2019

Health

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

Biography

According to some reports, F.N. Plevako was the son of a Polish nobleman and a Kalmyk woman from the Orenburg Kalmyk Cossacks. Father - court adviser Vasily Ivanovich Plevak, mother - Kalmyk Ekaterina Stepanova. The parents were not in an official church marriage, so their two children - Fedor and Dormidont - were considered illegitimate. There were four children in the family, but two died 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 Plevako family moved to Moscow in the summer of 1851. In the fall, the brothers were sent to the Commercial School on Ostozhenka. The brothers studied well, 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 efforts, Fedor and Dormidont were admitted to the 1st Moscow Gymnasium on Prechistenka - immediately into the 3rd grade. By the way, in the same year, Pyotr Kropotkin also entered the gymnasium, and also in the third grade. Many Russian figures who later became famous studied at the same school.

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

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 found a response 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. First court speeches Plevako immediately discovered a huge oratorical talent. In the trial of Colonel Kostrubo-Koritsky, heard in the Ryazan district court (1871), Plevako was opposed by barrister Prince AI 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 splendor 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 murdering 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 rampage and destruction of factory property, aroused a feeling of compassion for unfortunate people, "exhausted 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 abundance. 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 engaged in scientific works: in 1874 he translated into Russian and published a course on Roman civil law in Pukhta. His assistant was after 1894 famous singer L. V. Sobinov. According to his political views, he belonged to the "Union of October 17".

The present case was considered by the Ostrogozhsky District Court on September 29-30, 1883. Prince G.I. Gruzinsky was accused of premeditated murder of the former tutor of his children, who later managed the estate of Gruzinsky's wife - E.F. Schmidt.

The preliminary investigation established the following. E.F. Schmidt, invited by Gruzinsky last. After Gruzinsky demanded that his wife stop all relations as a tutor, very quickly becomes close to his wife with a tutor, and fired him himself, the wife declared that it was impossible to continue living with Gruzinsky and demanded the allocation of part of her property. Having settled in the estate allotted to her, she invited E.F. Schmidt. After the partition, two of Gruzinsky's 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, children were told a lot of compromising things about Gruzinsky. As a result, being constantly in a tense nervous state when meeting with Schmidt and with the children, Gruzinsky, during one of these meetings, killed Schmidt by 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 feelings of the prince at the time of the crime, on his relationship with his wife, on love for 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 - "Gently loving father my husband wants to see his family."

“It was then that the prince, who had not yet left the bed, had to experience terrible grief. Since he hears - the patients are so sensitive - in the next room, the conversation of Schmidt and his wife: they, apparently, perekoresh; but their quarrel is so strange: it’s like they are scolding, and not strangers, then again peaceful speeches ... uncomfortable ... The prince gets up, gathers strength ..., goes when no one expected him, when they thought that he was bedridden ... And well. not good together...

The prince fainted and lay on the floor all night. Those who were caught fled, not even guessing to send help to the sick man. The prince could not kill the enemy, destroy him, he was weak ... He only accepted misfortune in an open heart, so that he would never know separation from him "

Plevako claims that he would not have dared to blame the princess and Schmidt, to doom them to the sacrifice of the prince, if they had left, had not boasted of their love, had not insulted him, had not extorted money from him, that this "would be hypocrisy of the word."

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 the unthinkable happens. “Schmidt, taking advantage of the fact that children’s underwear is in the princess’s house where he lives, rejects the demand with a curse and sends an answer that without 300 rubles a deposit he will not give the prince two shirts and two pants for children. and children, and dares to call him a man capable of wasting children's underwear, takes care of the children, and demands a 300 ruble deposit from the father. The next morning, the prince saw children in crumpled shirts. "My father's heart sank. He turned away from these talking eyes and - which father's 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, shirts for his children " .

Schmidt, according to witnesses, loaded the guns at night. The prince had a gun, but it was a habit, not an intention. “I affirm,” Plevako said, “that an ambush awaits him there. Linen, refusal, bail, loaded guns of large and small caliber - everything speaks for my idea.”

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 him. 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, and his honor, and all the interests of his children are sacrificed to the animal voluptuousness of a swindler.Here it is - a place where not only was his present taken away, his past happiness was taken away, poisoning him with suspicions ...

God forbid to experience such moments!

In this mood, he rides, approaches the house, knocks on the door. Door.

He is not allowed. The footman speaks of the order not to accept.

The prince conveys that he needs nothing but linen.

But instead of doing it legal requirement, instead of, finally, a polite refusal, he hears scolding, scolding from the lips of his wife's lover, directed towards him, who does not do any insult on his part.

You have heard about this curse: "Let the scoundrel leave, don't you dare knock, this is my house! Get out, I'll shoot."

The whole being of the prince was indignant. The enemy stood close and laughed so brazenly. The fact that he was armed, the prince could know from his family, who heard from Tsybulin. And the fact that he is capable of all evil - the prince could not help but believe.

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 are too legitimate, these are for them" and sacredness. It is not a vicious feeling of malice that rises in their souls, but a righteous feeling of revenge and protection of the violated right. It is legal, it is holy; do not rise it, they are contemptible people, pimps, blasphemers!"

Finishing 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 strength of oppression over him by the pictures of his family misfortune that disturbed the soul, you would admit that he cannot be blamed for the accusation that is being raised, and his defender is all around guilty of insufficient ability to fulfill the task he has assumed ... "

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

The Omen

The great Russian lawyer F.N. Plevako is credited with the frequent use of the religious mood of jurors in the interests of clients. Once, speaking in the provincial district court, he agreed with the bell-ringer of the local church that he would begin the evangelization for mass with special precision.

Speech 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 that!

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

30 kopecks

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

absolution

He once 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.

15 years of unfair reproach.

There was in Russia, even in ancient times, the famous lawyer Plevako, who won almost all lawsuits. And then one day a case came to him about the murder of his woman by a man. Plevako came to court as usual, calm and confident in success, and
without any papers and cribs. And so, when the turn came to the defense, Plevako stood up and said:
The noise in the hall began to subside. Plevako again:
- Gentlemen of the jury!
There was dead silence in the hall. Lawyer again:
- Gentlemen of the jury!
There was a slight rustle in the hall, but the speech did not begin. Again:
- Gentlemen of the jury!
Here in the hall swept the discontented rumble of the long-awaited long-awaited spectacle of the people. And Plevako again:
- Gentlemen of the jury!
Here already the hall exploded with indignation, perceiving everything as a mockery of the respectable public. And from the podium again:
- Gentlemen of the jury!
Something incredible has begun. The hall roared along with the judge, prosecutor and assessors. And finally, Plevako raised his hand, urging the people to calm down.
- Well, gentlemen, you could not stand even 15 minutes of my experiment.
And what was it like for this unfortunate man to listen to 15 years unfair reproaches and the irritated itch of his grumpy woman over every insignificant trifle?!
The hall froze, then burst into admiring applause.
The man was acquitted.

One sin

Somehow one priest was tried for some offense. Plevako was asked before the court whether his defense speech was great? To which he replied that his entire speech would consist of one phrase. And now, after the accusatory speech of the prosecutor, who demanded a decent punishment, it was the turn of the defense. The lawyer stood up and said:
- Lord! Remember how many sins the father absolved you in his life, so why don’t we now absolve him of one single sin?!!!
The audience's reaction was appropriate. Pop was acquitted.

I took off my shoes!

In addition to the history of famous lawyer Plevako. He defends a man whom a prostitute has accused of rape and is trying to get a significant amount from him in court for the injury. Facts of the case: the plaintiff alleges that the defendant lured her into a hotel room and raped her there. The man also declares that everything was in good agreement. The last word for Plevako.
"Gentlemen of the jury," he says. "If you award my client a fine, then I ask you to deduct from this amount the cost of washing the sheets that the plaintiff soiled with her shoes."
The prostitute jumps up and shouts: "That's not true! I took off my shoes!"
Laughter in the hall. The defendant is acquitted.

20 minutes.

The lawyer F.N. Plevako defended the owner of a small shop, a semi-literate woman who violated the rules on trading hours and closed the trade 20 minutes later than it was supposed to, on the eve of some religious holiday. The court hearing in her case was scheduled for 10 o'clock. The court left 10 minutes late. Everyone was there, except for the defender - Plevako. The chairman of the court ordered to find Plevako. After 10 minutes, Plevako, without hurrying, entered the hall, calmly sat down at the place of protection and opened the briefcase. The chairman of the court reprimanded him for being late. Then Plevako pulled out his watch, looked at it and declared that it was only five past ten on his watch. The chairman pointed out to him that it was already 20 past ten on the wall clock. Plevako asked the chairman: - And how much is on your watch, Your Excellency? The chairman looked and replied:
- At my fifteen minutes past eleven. Plevako turned to the prosecutor:
- And on your watch, Mr. Prosecutor? The prosecutor, obviously wishing to cause trouble for the defense counsel, replied with a sly smile:
- It's already twenty-five past ten on my watch.
He could not know what kind of trap Plevako set up for him and how much he, the prosecutor, helped the defense.
The trial ended very quickly. Witnesses confirmed that the defendant closed the shop 20 minutes late. The prosecutor asked that the defendant be found guilty. The floor was given to Plevako. The speech lasted two minutes. He declared:
- The defendant was indeed 20 minutes late. But, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, she is an old woman, illiterate, and does not know much about watches. We are literate and intelligent people. How are you doing with your watch? When the wall clock shows 20 minutes, the chairman has 15 minutes, and the prosecutor's clock has 25 minutes. Of course, Mr. Prosecutor has the most faithful watch. So my watch was 20 minutes behind, which is why I was 20 minutes late. And I always considered my watch very accurate, because I have gold, Moser.
So if Mr. Chairman, according to the prosecutor's clock, opened the session 15 minutes late, and the defense counsel appeared 20 minutes later, then how can you demand that an illiterate tradeswoman have best watch and better versed in the time than we are with the prosecutor?
The jury deliberated for one minute and acquitted the defendant.

Best of the day

Get started!

From the memoirs of Plevako... 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."

Fyodor 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 remarkable abilities, mathematics was the easiest for him. Fedor sat all day long over books and without difficulty entered the Commercial School in Moscow. Alas, they failed to finish their studies - Plevako and his brother were expelled from educational institution as illegitimate. The father used all his connections to get his children admitted to the 1st Moscow Gymnasium. Then Fedor became a student at the law faculty of Moscow University. The teachers noted the young man's lively mind and predicted a bright future for him.

The young lawyer is quickly becoming one of the most sought after in Moscow. He was listened to 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 the audience, appealing to both reason and feelings. Accurate images, conciseness and logical harmony - on the judicial 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-cheeked, angular face of the Kalmyk type with wide-set eyes, with unruly strands of long black hair, could be called ugly if it were not illuminated by inner beauty, which showed through either in a general animated expression, or in a kind, lion-like smile, or in fire and brilliance. talking eyes.

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

His movements were uneven and sometimes awkward; A lawyer's tailcoat sat clumsily on him, and his whispering voice seemed to run counter to his vocation as an orator. But in this voice there were notes of such strength and passion that he 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 approaches 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 other beauties are many sets. Diction climbs into the very soul, fire looks out of the eyes. No matter how much Plevako says, you can always listen to him without boredom ... ".

The lawyer was involved in high-profile case about the Morozov strike (1885). It was one of the largest strikes in history. Russian Empire. About 8000 thousand people became its participants. The authorities sent 3 battalions of soldiers and 500 Cossacks to suppress the strike. As a result, 33 people ended up in the dock, but they were acquitted by a jury. In his speeches, Plevako appealed to the feeling of compassion for the workers, exhausted by hard physical labor. He has acted as defense counsel in labor unrest cases on several occasions.

Plevako, with his amazing oratorical gift, could convince anyone

Another brilliant speech by Fyodor Nikiforovich is connected with the rebellion of the peasants of one of the villages of the Tula province against the neighboring landowner, Count Bobrinsky. The rebellion was brutally suppressed, 34 "instigators" were put on trial. Plevako not only defended the defendants, but also paid them all legal expenses. The plight of the Tula peasants was proved by concrete figures. According to him, they lived "a hundred times harder than pre-reform slavery." "Poverty is hopeless,<…>lack of rights, shameless exploitation, leading everyone and everything to ruin - here they are, instigators! ”Said the lawyer.

Once, Plevako defended a saleswoman who violated the rule on trading and closed her shop 20 minutes later than what was required by law. Fedor Nikiforovich was 10 minutes late for the meeting. The prosecutor asked that the defendant be found guilty. “The defendant was indeed 20 minutes late. But, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, she is an old woman, illiterate, and does not know much about watches. We are literate and intelligent people. How are you doing with your watch? When the wall clock shows 20 minutes, the chairman has 15 minutes, and the prosecutor's clock has 25 minutes. Of course, Mr. Prosecutor has the most faithful watch. So my watch was 20 minutes behind, which is why I was 20 minutes late. And I always considered my watch to be very accurate, because I have gold, Moser, ”said Plevako. After his speech, the saleswoman was acquitted.

Abbess Mitrofania

Fyodor Nikiforovich also defended Mother Superior Mitrofania; She was accused of misappropriation of someone else's property. This case was widely reported in the press. The court ruled to deprive Mitrofaniya of her property and exile her to the Yenisei province, but her defenders succeeded in reducing the sentence of deportation to Stavropol. The outstanding lawyer died on January 5, 1909 in Moscow.

Acted as a defender on large political processes:

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 Nikifora - godfather 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.

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 splendor 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 murdering 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 Vagankovsky cemetery. Since then, an ordinary oak cross stood on the grave of the great Russian lawyer - until 2003, when donations from famous Russian lawyers an original bas-relief depicting F.N. Plevako was created.

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.

Fedor Nikiforovich Plevako, one of the most famous Russian lawyers, whom his contemporaries called "Moscow Chrysostom".

Here are some examples of Plevako's famous eloquence.

"20 minutes"

At my fifteen minutes past eleven. Plevako turned to the prosecutor:

And on your watch, Mr. Prosecutor?

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

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

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

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

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

So if Mr. Chairman, according to the prosecutor's clock, opened the session 15 minutes late, and the defense counsel appeared 20 minutes later, then how can you demand that an illiterate saleswoman have better hours and better understand the time than the prosecutor and I?

The jury deliberated for one minute and acquitted the defendant.

"15 years of unfair reproach"

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

The noise in the hall began to subside. Plevako again:

Gentlemen of the jury!

There was dead silence in the hall. Lawyer again:

Gentlemen of the jury!

There was a slight rustle in the hall, but the speech did not begin. Again:

Gentlemen of the jury!

Here in the hall swept the discontented rumble of the long-awaited long-awaited spectacle of the people. And Plevako again:

Gentlemen of the jury!

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

Gentlemen of the jury!

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

Well, gentlemen, you could not stand even 15 minutes of my experiment. And what was it like for this unfortunate peasant to listen for 15 years to unfair reproaches and irritated itching of his grumpy woman over every insignificant trifle?!

The hall froze, then burst into admiring applause.

The man was acquitted.

"Remission of Sins"

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

30 kopecks

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

The old woman was acquitted.

I took off my shoes!

In addition to the story about the famous lawyer Plevako. He defends a man whom a prostitute has accused of rape and is trying to get a significant amount from him in court for the injury. Facts of the case: the plaintiff alleges that the defendant lured her into a hotel room and raped her there. The man also declares that everything was in good agreement. The last word for Plevako.

"Gentlemen of the jury," he says. "If you award my client a fine, then I ask you to deduct from this amount the cost of washing the sheets that the plaintiff soiled with her shoes."

The prostitute jumps up and shouts: "That's not true! I took off my shoes!"

Laughter in the hall. The defendant is acquitted.

"The Omen"

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 that!

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

The Georgian case.

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 feelings of the prince at the time of the crime, on his relationship with his wife, on love for 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 - "Tenderly loving father, husband wants to see his family."

God forbid to experience such moments!

In this mood, he rides, approaches the house, knocks on the door. Door.

He is not allowed. The footman speaks of the order not to accept.

The prince conveys that he needs nothing but linen.

But instead of fulfilling his legitimate demand, instead of, finally, a polite refusal, he hears scolding, scolding from the lips of his wife's lover, directed at him, who does not do any insult on his part.

You have heard about this curse: "Let the scoundrel leave, don't you dare knock, this is my house! Get out, I'll shoot."

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

Get started!

From the memoirs of Plevako… 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 so 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:

That's right, your degree.

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:

Get started.

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."