Alexander Nikolayevich Radishchev was born in 1749 in Verkhne Ablyazovo and spent his childhood in his father's estate in the village of Nemtsovo, Borovsky district of Kaluga province. His father, a devout and educated man, personally undertook the initial education of his son, being proficient in Latin, Polish, French, and German. As was customary at the time, Alexander learned Russian literacy from a prayer book and the Psalter. At the age of six, a French teacher, who turned out to be a runaway soldier, was assigned to him. Soon after the opening of Moscow University, around 1756, his father took Alexander to Moscow to his maternal uncle, where he was taught by a French governess, a former advisor to the Rouen parliament. The children of the Argamakovs studied with professors and teachers from the university gymnasium, and Alexander likely followed the gymnasium curriculum.

In 1762, after the coronation of Catherine II, Radishchev was appointed a page and sent to St. Petersburg for training at the Page Corps, which prepared courtiers rather than scholars. Four years later, he was sent to Leipzig University to study law. There, he significantly broadened his horizons, absorbing the ideas of French Enlightenment thinkers who laid the groundwork for the future bourgeois revolution.

Among Radishchev's peers, Fyodor Vasilyevich Ushakov stood out, having a great influence on him. Ushakov, more experienced and mature, became an authority for the students, guiding their reading and instilling moral convictions. Due to poor health and excessive work, Ushakov fell ill and, knowing of his impending death, passed his papers to Radishchev, reminding him of the importance of rules in life. These words left an indelible mark on Radishchev's memory.

In 1771, Radishchev returned to St. Petersburg and began working as a protocol clerk, but soon left the Senate due to rude treatment. He joined the staff of General-Antechef Bruce and distinguished himself with his diligence. In 1775, Radishchev retired, married Anna Vasilievna Rubanovskaya, and took a position in the Commerce Collegium, where he befriended Count Vorontsov, who helped him during his exile.

From 1780, Radishchev worked at the St. Petersburg customs, rising to the position of chief. He lived in St. Petersburg on Dirty Street, now Marata Street. The foundations of his worldview were laid during his early activities. In 1771, he sent an excerpt from his future book "Journey from Petersburg to Moscow" to the magazine "The Painter." In the 1780s, he worked on "Journey" and other writings. In 1789, he joined the "Society of Friends of the Humanities" and published an article and a brochure dedicated to Ushakov.

In 1789, Radishchev established a printing house and in 1790 published "Journey from Petersburg to Moscow." The book attracted the attention of the Empress, who called Radishchev a "rebel worse than Pugachev." Radishchev was arrested, but during interrogations, he did not betray his accomplices and tried to save his life. He was sentenced to death, but by Catherine's decree, the execution was commuted to ten years of exile in Siberia. After Catherine's death, he was pardoned and spent 6 years in exile.

Emperor Paul I brought Radishchev back from Siberia, and he lived in an estate in Kaluga province. Under Alexander I, Radishchev was granted freedom and appointed a member of the Commission for the Drafting of Laws. There is a legend about his suicide, but in D. S. Babkin's book, a version of an accident is proposed: Radishchev drank vodka intended for burning epaulettes. The burial documents state he died of natural causes. Radishchev's grave has not survived, but a memorial plaque has been installed on the wall of the Resurrection Church.