Koni, Anatolii

Born Jan. 28 (Feb. 9), 1844, in St. Petersburg; died Sept. 17, 1927, in Leningrad. Rus-sian jurist, public figure, and man of letters. Son of F. A. Koni. Doctor of law (1890); honorary member of Moscow University (1892); and honorary academician of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences (1900). Member of the State Council (1907); member of legislative commissions that drafted numerous laws and statutes; and member and chairman of the St. Petersburg Juridical Society (1916).

Koni graduated from the faculty of law of Moscow University in 1865. From 1866 he was a member of various judicial bodies, serving as assistant secretary of the court chamber in St. Petersburg, secretary to the procurator of the Moscow court chamber, assistant to the procurator of the Sumy and Kharkov district courts, procurator of the Kazan district court, assistant procurator and later, procurator of the St. Petersburg district court, procurator-general of the Criminal Cassation Department of the Senate, and senator assigned to the Criminal Cassation Department. Koni supported the democratic principles in court procedure that had been introduced by the Judicial Reform of 1864, including trial by jury and publicity of trials. A moderate liberal in his views on the state and social structure of Russia, he became well known in connection with the V. I. Zasulich case. (Zasulich was accused of attempting to murder the governor of St. Petersburg, General F. F. Trepov.) Koni’s activity was progressive and humane.

After the Great October Socialist Revolution Koni continued his literary work. From 1918 to 1922 he was professor of criminal law at Petrograd University. He also gave lectures before scientific, public, and creative organizations, as well as at cultural and educational institutions.

In his literary works Koni created vivid portraits of the major political and public figures of his time. He won fame, in particular, for his notes on his work in the judiciary and for his reminiscences of his acquaintances (five volumes under the general title On Life’s Path, 1912–29), as well as for the anniversary collection 1864—1914 of sketches and articles, The Fathers and Sons of the Judicial Reform.