an alumnus of the historical-philological faculty of kiev university (1893), he wrote a magister dissertation on history in fall 1901 and a doctoral dissertation on history in 1906. he became professor at moscow university (1899) and professor of russian history at kiev university in 1902. he was the organiser and director of the higher commercial courses (kiev, 1906), one of the organizers and the first head of the south-western branch of the russian exports chamber (1912), and head of several popular-scientific circles and societies in kiev.