Petr Nikolaevich Lebedev, a Russian physicist, founded the first Russian scientific school of physicists and was a professor at Moscow University. He was the first to obtain and study millimeter electromagnetic waves, as well as to discover and measure the pressure of light on solid bodies and gases, confirming the electromagnetic theory of light. The Physical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences is named in his honor.

Lebedev was born on March 8, 1866, in Moscow into a merchant family. He received his literacy education at home and then studied at the commercial department of the Evangelical Church School of Peter and Paul. From 1884 to 1887, he attended the Moscow Higher Technical School, but he was not attracted to engineering. In 1887, he went to Strasbourg to study at the school of August Kundt, one of the best in Europe.

In 1891, after defending his dissertation, Lebedev became a Doctor of Philosophy. Upon returning to Moscow, he began working at Moscow University at the invitation of A.G. Stoletov. The study of light pressure became his main focus. In 1899, he first reported on light pressure, and in 1900, he presented his experiments at the World Congress of Physicists in Paris. In 1901, his work "Experimental Study of Light Pressure" was published in the German journal "Annalen der Physik."

In 1900, Lebedev was awarded a Doctor of Science degree, bypassing the master's degree, and in 1901 he became a professor at Moscow University. In 1902, he spoke at the congress of the German Astronomical Society, discussing the cosmic role of light pressure. He faced difficulties both experimentally and theoretically, as the pressure of light on gases is significantly less than on solid bodies. By 1900, all preparatory work was completed, and in 1909 he reported the results, which were published in "Annalen der Physik" in 1910.

Lebedev also made significant contributions to the study of the properties of electromagnetic waves. His article "On the Double Refraction of Rays of Electric Force" was published in both Russian and German. Improving Hertz's method, Lebedev obtained the shortest electromagnetic waves at that time, measuring 6 mm, and proved their double refraction in anisotropic media. The instruments he used were so small that they could be carried in a pocket.

In the last years of his life, Lebedev became interested in the problem of ultrasound. In 1911, he, along with other professors, left Moscow University in protest against the actions of the Minister of Education, Kassov. That same year, Lebedev received two invitations from the Nobel Institute in Stockholm, where he was offered the position of laboratory director and financial support. The awarding of the Nobel Prize to him was also discussed. However, he remained in Russia with his students. The lack of necessary working conditions and worries over his dismissal undermined his health. Lebedev passed away on March 1, 1912, at the age of 46.