Nikolai Karabchevsky, a renowned Russian lawyer and writer, was born on December 10, 1851, into the family of the commander of the Ulan regiment, Platon Karabchevsky. His grandfather, a captive Turk named Karapchi, founded the family line. Nikolai's mother, Lyubov Petrovna, came from a wealthy noble family of Bogdanoviches. Thanks to this, Karabchevsky did not experience need from childhood, received an excellent legal education, and became a well-known lawyer as well as the author of several journalistic works and memoirs.

Karabchevsky quickly gained fame by participating in high-profile trials, where he distinguished himself as an outstanding lawyer. Supporting revolutionary populist movements, he actively engaged in political investigations. Among his cases were the proceedings regarding the Kishinev pogrom, the defense of the Socialist-Revolutionaries Gershuni and Sozonov, as well as the defense of Mendel Beilis, accused of ritual murder. In such cases, he did not take fees, which solidified his reputation as an opposition lawyer.

Karabchevsky married the owner of a mansion belonging to merchant Myasnikov and hosted lavish receptions there, attended by Shalyapin, Sobinov, Kshesinskaya, Pavlova, and other representatives of the creative intelligentsia. His revolutionary views did not prevent him from leading a social life.

With the onset of World War I, Karabchevsky's views changed, and he began actively assisting the Russian army. In early 1917, he went on a trip to Scandinavian countries to check the conditions of Russian prisoners of war with the help of the Red Cross.

Due to the revolutions he did not accept, Karabchevsky never returned to Russia. He opposed the Provisional Government, accusing it of destroying the country, and actively resisted the Bolsheviks, representing Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich, who proclaimed himself emperor in exile. Nikolai Karabchevsky passed away on November 22, 1925, in Italy at the age of 73.