Prince Vyacheslav Nikolaevich Tenishev, a renowned Russian ethnographer, archaeologist, and sociologist, was also a jurist and the founder of the Tenishev Real School in St. Petersburg. He came from the princely family of Tenishevs and was the son of Major General Nikolai Ivanovich Tenishev, who served as the governor of Sandomierz.

Vyacheslav Nikolaevich was born in 1844 in Warsaw. At the age of three, he lost his mother and was raised by his uncle in the Tver province. His father held important positions in the imperial service, including managing transportation in the Kingdom of Poland, where he built the first railroads. Tenishev graduated from a Moscow gymnasium and enrolled in the physics and mathematics faculty of St. Petersburg University, but soon went to study at the Polytechnic Institute in Karlsruhe (1861, 1864). After returning to Russia from Baden, he began working as a technician on the railway. He later became a major industrialist and engineer, focusing his interests on metalworking. In 1870, he founded a small locksmith and mechanical plant on Gutuyev Island in St. Petersburg, producing machines for building railway bridges. Soon, Tenishev became a shareholder, chairman of the board, and technical director of the Bryansk Rail Rolling, Ironworking, and Mechanical Plant, one of the largest metalworking enterprises in Russia. He was on the boards of several banks and societies and also founded the electrical engineering firm 'Prince Tenishev and Co.' In 1896, he stepped back from managing the plant and active business involvement, focusing on scientific and charitable projects.

Among Tenishev's most notable social projects was the Tenishev School, a model secondary commercial educational institution in St. Petersburg, whose alumni included such famous figures as O. E. Mandelstam, V. V. Nabokov, and others. He also established the 'Ethnographic Bureau' to study the life of contemporary peasantry. His significant personal fortune allowed him to spend large sums on charity. For example, he donated 1,500,000 rubles for the establishment of the Tenishev School and allocated 50,000 rubles annually for its maintenance. Tenishev was a member of the Council of Trade and Manufacturing under the Ministry of Finance and was recommended for the position of general commissioner from Russia at the 1900 World Exhibition in Paris. At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, the Tenishev estate in Talashkino, Smolensk province, became one of the centers of artistic life in Russia, thanks to his wife Maria Klavdievna.

Tenishev was married twice, and both of his wives, especially the second, were known for their humanitarian activities. His first wife was Anna Dmitrievna (née Zamyatnina), who opened embroidery and lace workshops in the estate of Aleksandrovka. Their products gained worldwide fame and were presented at the World Exhibition in 1900. His second wife was Maria Klavdievna (née Pyatkowska), who organized drawing schools and created the 'Russian Antiquity' museum in Smolensk. Tenishev was also a talented cellist and headed the St. Petersburg branch of the Russian Musical Society. He was awarded the court title of chamberlain and received the Order of the Legion of Honor.

Vyacheslav Nikolaevich passed away from liver and heart disease in Paris in April 1903. His ashes were transported to his estate in Smolensk province and buried in the Church of the Holy Spirit in the village of Flyonovo, which was part of the Talashkino estate. His son from his first marriage, Vyacheslav Vyacheslavovich, became a public figure and a member of the State Duma of the III convocation from the Oryol province.