«It was a great, noble work of a selfless worker» (to the biography of P.A. Preobrazhensky)

The paper examines the main stages of the life path, scientific and socio-pedagogical activity of Pavel Aleksandrovich Preobrazhensky, a teacher, historian and public figure who lived in Samara at the turn of the 19–20 centuries. The biographical study was built with the involvement of archival materials, published sources and memoirs of P.A. Preobrazhensky’s students. The author notes the circumstances of the formation of the character and life principles of the future teacher, and the significant role of the family and the father-priest in this. The half-century pedagogical practice of P.A. Preobrazhensky left a memory of him not only in the hearts of the students, but also among their parents and colleagues, as evidenced by the statements given by the author. The paper also examines socio-cultural activities of P.A. Preobrazhensky, who during his life was a member of many scientific and cultural societies and actively worked in the field of education and dissemination of scientific knowledge among the Samara population. The author highlights the university period in the biography of Pavel Aleksandrovich, noting that it was the heyday of his scientific and teaching career. It was during this period that his life was filled with various types of activities – scientific, teaching, administrative and social.