Mikhail Alekseevich Radishchev was born in 1859 and was the great-grandson of the famous Russian writer and democrat Alexander Nikolaevich Radishchev, who was born in 1749 in Verkhne Ablyazovo, Saratov Province, and died in 1802 in St. Petersburg.

After graduating from the law faculty of Kazan University, Mikhail Alekseevich became a candidate of law, a justice of the peace, and the heir to the family home. For his merits, he was awarded a silver medal and received the rank of court counselor, just like his father. His father, Alexei Vasilyevich Radishchev, was born in 1835 in Verkhne Ablyazovo, Saratov Province.

Mikhail Alekseevich was passionate about archaeology and, since 1912, was a full member of the Saratov Scientific Archive Commission, as well as an author of publications on the Khvalynsk settlements of the early Iron Age. Based on his unique collections in archaeology, numismatics, ornithology, zoology, and ethnography, a local history museum was opened after the nationalization of the Radishchev house in 1919. Mikhail Alekseevich was characterized by healthy ambition, self-confidence, and the ability to bring ideas to life. He was a sociable person, easily finding common ground with those around him due to his delicacy, culture, and education. Even before the revolution, he turned his home into a museum that could be visited for free on certain days. Mikhail Alekseevich Radishchev died in 1920 from typhus in Vladikavkaz.