Pyotr Gnedich was a writer, playwright, and art historian. Born in Saint Petersburg into a noble family and was a relative of the famous poet Nikolai Gnedich. He studied at the First St. Petersburg Classical Gymnasium and later at the Academy of Arts, though he did not complete his studies. Pyotr Gnedich made his debut in print in the late 1870s as an author of short stories, feuilletons, and novellas. He wrote comedies and dramas staged in leading theaters in Moscow and St. Petersburg (one of his plays was directed by Konstantin Stanislavsky). In addition, he translated works by William Shakespeare. He gained widespread fame for his works on art history, most notably the three-volume “History of Art from Ancient Times”. Gnedich was actively involved in the cultural and publishing life of the capital. He edited the magazines “North” (“Sever”) and “The Yearbook of the Imperial Theatres”, and chaired the Literary and Artistic Circle. From 1900 to 1908, he was in charge of the Alexandrinsky Theatre troupe, and starting in 1914, he headed the museum of the Society for the Encouragement of Arts. Following the October Revolution, he worked in the repertory section of the Petrograd Department of Narkompros. The writer also left a memoir titled “The Book of Life”. The Bakhrushin Theatre Museum collection preserves books by the author, as well as items related to theatrical productions based on his works.