Wrangel in irkutsk (1902-1906): "Documentary biographies" and archival documents

This article, on the basis of newly discovered archival documents, covers an unexplored page in the biography of General P.N. Wrangel: his civil service as a special mission officer for Irkutsk Governor-General A.I. Panteleev, 1902-1906. It analyses the content of the documents of Wrangel's personal archive kept in the State Archive of Irkutsk Oblast. It shows how and why Wrangel transferred from the civil service and decided in favor of a military career.