Mikhail Barshchevsky, representative of the Government of the Russian Federation in the Constitutional Court. Biography

Mikhail Barshchevsky — early years, education

Mikhail Barshchevsky was born on December 27, 1955 in Moscow. His father worked as a lawyer, and his mother was an actress. The parents wanted to give their son a high-quality education, so they sent him to the specialized English school No. 92. Mikhail's academic performance was not perfect, but he quickly gained respect among his peers. For his ability to peacefully resolve conflicts, the boy received the nickname Lawyer.

Barshchevsky graduated from high school in 1973 and spent a long time deciding on his future specialty. In high school, he tried to write short stories, but they did not receive recognition. Then he became interested in the profession of a geologist. As the lawyer himself admitted in an interview, he was attracted by the romance of the expeditions. Mikhail enrolled in the School of young Geographers at Moscow State University and graduated excellently, but he could not enroll in the chosen university.

Later, Barshchevsky chose between a career as an actor and a lawyer. He even applied to the famous Shchukin College, but his father dissuaded him from admission.

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"My father came to the head of the course and asked if the boy had any talent, to which he replied that there was some kind of spark of God, but no one knows what will happen at the end. After that, Dad told me, "If you're an actor, you're a genius. You'll have to feed your family," Barshchevsky said.

As a result, he entered the All-Union Law Institute (sovr. Moscow State Law University named after Kutafina), who successfully graduated in 1978. Barshchevsky never regretted his choice, considering law to be the best school of life. In 1997, he defended his dissertation on "Problems of the Russian Legal Profession" at the Moscow State Law Academy.

Mikhail Barshchevsky — career of a lawyer

While still studying at the university, Barshchevsky began working as a legal consultant at the Moscow Margarine Factory, where he spent six years. In 1979-1980, he served as a senior legal adviser to the Reutovsky City Bar, and in 1980 he became a lawyer at the Moscow City Bar Association.

In the late 1980s, the Soros Foundation and the Cultural Initiative Foundation organized international internships for young Russian lawyers, and Barshchevsky became one of the first participants in the program. He completed internships at well-known law firms: Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy in the USA and Bureau Ricchi in France.

After returning to Russia in 1990, Barshchevsky opened his own law firm, Moscow Lawyers, which was transformed into Barshchevsky and Partners Law Firm in 1993.

"It was the first private law firm in Russia. Before me, it had never occurred to anyone to create such an organization. I remember back then, many of my friends were twirling their fingers at my temple, not understanding why I needed it," the lawyer said.

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In the 1990s and 2000s, the bureau's clients included many famous personalities, including the first president of Russia, Boris Yeltsin, former Deputy Prime Minister Anatoly Chubais, and others. From 1997 to 2001, Barshchevsky also headed the Department of Advocacy at the Moscow Institute of Economics, Politics and Law.

Mikhail Barshchevsky in the civil service

In 2001, Barshchevsky renounced the status of a lawyer and joined the civil service. He was appointed the plenipotentiary representative of the Russian government in the Constitutional and Supreme Courts of the Russian Federation. According to the lawyer himself, he was a "government lawyer."

In 2006, Barshchevsky joined the Free Russia party (since 2007, the Civil Force) and six months later headed its supreme council. However, he left his post in 2008. In 2012, Barshchevsky returned to the political scene, joining Mikhail Prokhorov's Civic Platform, where he remained until 2015.

In December 2025, Barshchevsky announced his resignation from the post of government representative to the Constitutional Court. In an interview with RBC Radio, the lawyer explained his decision by his age.

"According to the law on civil service, the age limit is 70 years. I'm supposed to turn 70 on December 27, so starting from December 26, I'm leaving this position and going back to law practice," he said.

Mikhail Barshchevsky on television

Barshchevsky has repeatedly become a presenter or guest of television programs. He first appeared on television in 1984 in the program "Parents' Day — Saturday", in which experts answered live questions from viewers about parenting, family law, school psychology, etc.

"This program lasted for two years and its popularity was such that when people indicated the address in the letter, "Moscow. To Barshchevsky," the letters reached me. Since then, I've been invited to various television projects," the lawyer said.

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Subsequently, Barshchevsky created his own shows on legal topics — "Sir" and "Do you know the law?". In 2004, he and Pavel Astakhov hosted The Hour of Judgment program for several months.

The most popular thing for Barshchevsky was his participation in the intellectual game "What? Where? When?". Since 1994, for six years, he defended the interests of the players on the air, and later became the keeper of the traditions of the club. The lawyer joined the expert team only in 2002. At the same time, Barshchevsky himself admitted that although participation in the program had a negative impact on his professional image, the connoisseurs club remained one of his favorite hobbies.

Mikhail Barshchevsky — personal life

Mikhail Barshchevsky is married to Olga Barkalova. He met his wife when he was still a student. She graduated from the Moscow Institute of Foreign Languages and the Faculty of Law of Moscow State University. In 1997, the couple had a daughter, Natalia, and in 2008, the Barshchevskys had three-year-old twins, Daria and Maxim.

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