Ivan Petrovich Myatlev was born on January 28 (February 8) 1796 in St. Petersburg into a wealthy noble family. His father, P. V. Myatlev, was a well-known Petersburg millionaire and headed the State Assignation Bank, as well as owning a house near St. Isaac's Cathedral and the estates of Znamenka and Novoznamenka.

From the age of five, Ivan was listed in the Collegium of Foreign Affairs. As a cornet in the Belarusian Hussar Regiment, he participated in the foreign campaigns of the Russian army in 1813 and 1814. After military service, he worked in the Ministry of Finance in 1821 and 1836. He was a member of the General Presence at the Department of Manufactures and Internal Trade, and in January 1830 he received the court title of chamberlain and in 1833 the rank of state councilor. In 1834 and 1839, he undertook a significant foreign journey, during which he was on leave until 1836, after which he retired with the rank of actual state councilor.

Upon returning to Petersburg, Myatlev opened a salon in his home, where he held musical evenings and receptions. He was very popular in society, although he often played the role of a jester. He was on friendly terms with Pushkin, Vyazemsky, Zhukovsky, and Lermontov. The appearance of Ivan ('Ishki') Myatlev always brought joy; his wit enlivened conversations, and his discussions chased away boredom.

As an amateur poet, Myatlev published two collections of poetry, but he is better known for his travel impressions, expressed in macaronic verses under the title 'Sensations and Remarks of Mrs. Kurdyukova Abroad, given l'Etrangère.'

In the 1830s, he composed humorous verses together with A. S. Pushkin and P. A. Vyazemsky. Ivan Petrovich was a member of the Handicraft Division of the Council of the Imperial Free Economic Society and an actual member of the Imperial Mineralogical Society.

Ivan Petrovich Myatlev died of a stroke in February 1844 in St. Petersburg and was buried in the family crypt at the Trinity-Sergius Lavra.