Genrikh Padva, a Russian advocate, died on February 9, 2026, at the age of 94.
Born in Moscow on February 20, 1931, he graduated from the Moscow Law Institute in 1953 and began his legal practice the same year. Over a career spanning more than seven decades, Padva became one of the most influential and longest-practicing representatives of Soviet and Russian advocacy, specializing mainly in criminal cases.
He also contributed to the development of the bar in the post-Soviet period and was a member of the Moscow City Bar Association, later joining its presidium in 1985.
Genrikh Pavlovich Padva (Russian: Генрих Павлович Падва, IPA: [ˈɡʲenrʲɪx ˈpavləvʲɪtɕ ˈpadvə]; 20 February 1931 – 9 February 2026) was one of the most influential and longest-practicing representatives of Soviet and Russian advocacy. His professional career spanned more than seven decades and was characterized by a consistent commitment to upholding the principles of defending the rights of the accused within evolving legal systems. Padva specialized primarily in criminal cases, including those with high public resonance, and made a significant contribution to the development of the institution of the bar in the post-Soviet period.