Ippolit Shpazhinsky was a Russian playwright and poet, and chairman of the Society of Russian Dramatists and Opera Composers. Born in Tiflis, he received a military education before retiring and graduating from the Faculty of Law of Imperial Moscow University. He began his literary activity under the pseudonym Ivan Vezovsky. In 1876, his first drama, "A Question of Life", was staged. Subsequently, his plays of various genres were regularly performed on the stages of the Imperial theatres in Moscow and Saint Petersburg. His drama "The Major's Wife" (1878), the comedy "Fofan" (1880), the drama "Krushina" (1881), and the verse tragedy "The Sorceress" (1884) were particularly successful. The latter became the basis for Pyotr Tchaikovsky's famous opera of the same name. For the drama "Two Fates", the author was awarded the Griboyedov Prize. Such outstanding actresses as Maria Savina, Polina Strepetova, and Vera Komissarzhevskaya starred in Ippolit Shpazhinsky's plays. The Bakhrushin Theatre Museum's online collection features archival documents, sketches, posters, programs, and other items related to Ippolit Shpazhinsky.