Vinaver M. M. (1863-1926), public figure

Categories / Social Life/Personalia
VINAVER Maxim Moiseevich (1862 or 1863-1926) was a public and political figure, and lawyer. On graduating from the Faculty of Law of Warsaw University (1886), he became an assistant to an attorney (from 1904 an attorney in St. Petersburg). Vinaver practised as a defence attorney. He was a member of the Juridical society of St. Petersburg University, from 1904, he was one of the members of the publishing house of the journal Messenger of the Right, in 1910-14, he was an editor of the Labour Society. In the 1880s, Vinaver participated in the work of the Society for Education of Russian Jews, founded and became a head of its Historical and Ethnographic Commission (from 1908, Jewish Historical Ethnographic Society). Vinaver was one of the founders of the Union for Full Rights of Jewish People in Russia (March 1905), and a creator of the Jewish National Group (1907). From 1904, he was a member of the Union of Liberation. In 1905, he participated in the creation of the Union of Lawyers, of the Union of Russian Writers, and was in charge of the 1st and 2nd Congresses of Lawyers. He was one of the founders, leaders and theorists of the Constitutional Democratic Party (1905), and member of its Central Committee. Vinaver was a deputy of the First State Duma. For signing the Vyborg Appeal he was sentenced to three months imprisonment in Kresty prison (1906). In 1913-17, he was an editor of Messenger of Civil Rights Journal. After the February Revolution of 1917, Vinaver served as senator of the Civil Department of Cassation of the Senate, Deputy of the Central Duma, one of the editors of the journal Messenger of the Party of People's Freedom. From March 1917, together with historian A.A. Kornilov he became the Head of the Agitation and Publishing Commission of the Party of Constitutional Democrats. Vinaver was a member of the Special Conference for Compiling the Draft Law on elections to the Constitutional Assembly and to the Provisional Council of the Russian Republic (the Provisional Parliament), serving as an assistant to the head (deputy director) of the faction of Constitutional Democrats and of the Commission for Fight Against Anarchy. He was elected a deputy of the Constitutional Assembly from Petrograd. From 1918, he participated in the White Movement in the South of Russia. In 1920 he emigrated to France. Vinaver wrote Memoires The Recent (Petrograd, 1917; 2 ed. - Paris, 1926) which is a valuable source for studying the public life of St. Petersburg of the early 20th century.

References: М. М. Винавер и русская общественность начала XX века: Сб. ст. Париж, 1937.

N. V. Makarov. Kornilov Alexander Alexandrovich
Vinaver Maxim Moiseevich
М. М. Винавер и русская общественность начала XX века. Сб. ст. Париж, 1937
Шикман А. П. Деятели отечественной истории: Биогр. справ. М., 1997 State University, St. Petersburg
Jewish Historical and Ethnographic Society
Union of Liberation, political organization
State Duma
Kresty Prison.
February Revolution of 1917
Senate