One of the outstanding pre-revolutionary mayors of Rostov-on-Don was Ivan Stepanovich Levanidov, a second-guild merchant, hereditary honorary citizen, and major philanthropist.

Ivan Stepanovich was born on August 23, 1843, in the village of Padenki in the Arkhangelsk province to a peasant family. After the abolition of serfdom, his family moved to Rostov-on-Don, where he began working as a clerk at an iron foundry. Later, he received a legal education in St. Petersburg and became a notary at the Taganrog District Court.

A talented individual from a peasant family was soon recorded in the merchant class of the second guild. A significant number of his fellow villagers moved to the Don region after him.

Levanidov became one of the first notaries in Rostov-on-Don and quickly gained the trust of clients. He was respected not only as a notary but also as an advisor on civil and commercial matters. In 1871, he was elected as a member of the Rostov City Duma, and on February 6, 1872, he married Tatyana Leonidovna.

In 1881, Ivan Stepanovich was elected to the Rostov-on-Don City Duma and worked there until the end of his life. He headed the city financial commission for several terms. From October 1889 to May 1892, he served as mayor and represented the Duma in a special presence on city affairs with the military appointed ataman.

Ivan Stepanovich became particularly famous for his philanthropy. During his tenure, the Rostov City Hospital was built, to which he donated 15,000 rubles and attracted local merchants, banks, and homeowners to contribute. He also participated in the construction of churches and covered markets in Rostov-on-Don. In 1894, thanks to his efforts, a river committee was established in the city, the only public institution in Russia dealing with river improvement and navigation. Levanidov was one of the founders and chairman of the board of the merchant bank, owner of a brick factory, and a major shipowner. He actively participated in charitable activities, was an honorary member of the children's shelter board, chairman of the water rescue department, a member of the council of the Society for the Fight Against Leprosy, and chairman of the board of the Maximov House of Labor. Additionally, he was an honorary trustee of the real, commercial, and maritime schools in the city and built a church in his native village.

His merits were highly appreciated by his contemporaries: he received the title of hereditary honorary citizen of the city and was awarded the Orders of Saint Anna of III and II degrees, Saint Stanislaus of II degree, and Saint Vladimir of IV degree. He also received the blessing of the Holy Governing Synod for his charitable activities and gratitude from Empress Maria Feodorovna and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna.

Ivan Stepanovich Levanidov passed away on August 24, 1906. He had no children, and he bequeathed his unique library to the city, leaving 100,000 rubles and two stone houses for the establishment of city schools, which he requested to be named after "the benefactor and his wife."

Levanidov was a symbol of the era and prosperity of the Russian Empire, when even the son of a simple serf could become a wealthy merchant and head of a large city. In his story, we see an example of the social lift that is often talked about today but rarely seen.