Alexander Nikolaevich Radishchev was born in Moscow on August 20 (31), 1749 in a noble family. He received his primary education in Moscow and St. Petersburg. In 1762−1766 he studied at the Page Corps, then at the University of Leipzig. After returning to Russia, he served in state institutions, engaged in literary creativity. In 1790 he published the book "Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow", for the samizdat of which he was imprisoned in the Peter and Paul Fortress and sentenced to 10 years of exile in Ilimsk (Siberia). There Radishchev wrote a philosophical treatise "On man, his death and immortality" (1792, published in 1809).
A.N. Radishchev visited Tobolsk twice. For the first time, he went into exile in Ilimsk in December 1790, where he was joined by his sister-in-law Elizabeth Rubanovskaya (sister of his deceased wife), who wished to share his exile with Radishchev.
Radishchev lived in Tobolsk for almost half a year, where he studied the culture of the region, the life of the Tobolians, visited A.A. Alyabyev, I.O. Selifontov and other fairly well-known Tobolians.
Radishchev and his family left Tobolsk on July 30, 1791, and on this occasion wrote: "From Tobolsk along the Irtysh beyond Abalak, where the transportation places are beautiful …".
This was followed by a six-year stay in Ilimsk.
Radishchev arrived in Tobolsk again with his family on April 1, 1797. On the way, Elizaveta Rubanovskaya caught a cold and became seriously ill, and on April 7 she died of the disease. She was buried in the cemetery, but the grave was not preserved. A.N. Radishchev with five children left Tobolsk forever.