Vigel, Filipp Filippovich

Born Nov. 12 (23), 1786, in Sumbukhovo, in present-day Penza Oblast; died Mar. 20 (Apr. 1), 1856, in Moscow. Russian writer and memorialist.

Vigel’ was a Bessarabian vice-governor, the city governor in Kerch’, and a member of the literary circle Arzamas. Later Vigel’ became an extreme reactionary and wrote denunciations of P. la. Chaadaev and other persons. His Memoirs (published 1864-65, with supplements 1891-93), which include information on the mores of the nobility and literary and theater life in the first third of the 19th century, are very subjective and analyze political events from a reactionary point of view.