Eugene François Vidocq (July 23, 1775 - May 11, 1857) was a French criminal who later became the first head of the Main Directorate of National Security, and then one of the first modern private detectives and the "father" of the criminal investigation department in its modern form.

Much of the information about Vidocq comes from his autobiography. According to her, Vidocq was born on July 23, 1775 in the French city of Arras. His father was a baker.
At the age of 14, he apparently accidentally killed his fencing teacher and decided to run away from the city. Initially, he intended to go to America, but spent all the money on an actress, a lady of easy virtue. In the end, a year later, he was forced to join the Bourbon regiment.

He was far from an ideal soldier: he later recalled that he participated in 15 duels, killed two opponents and was subjected to many disciplinary actions. During the war, Francois was forced to go over to the side of the Austrians, but, not wanting to fight against his own, he pretended to be sick before the battle.

During the French Revolution, Vidocq, according to his own statement, saved two noblewomen from the guillotine, but was subsequently arrested himself. His father saved him by turning to the Chevalier family for help. François fell in love with their daughter Louise and married her when she pretended to be pregnant. Upon learning of her lover, an officer, Vidocq left for Brussels on false documents, where he courted an older baroness and was a member of a gang of raiders.

After moving to Paris, he spent all the money on women of easy virtue and moved to the border city of Lille, where he began a relationship with a certain Francine. Once finding her with her lover, Vidocq beat him, for which he was imprisoned for three months in St. Peter's Tower. There he met a peasant, Sebastian Butatele, who was sentenced to six years for stealing bread and who was hard pressed to be separated from his large family. Sebastian was subsequently released on a forged petition drawn up by his cellmates Gerbo and Gruar. Vidocq denied any involvement in this (according to him, Gerbo and Gruar only used his camera, without devoting him to the essence of the matter); cellmates claimed that it was Francois who was the instigator. Vidocq and Gerbo were sentenced to 8 years of hard labor, but Francois, with the help of the repentant Francine, escaped from the Brest prison, disguised as a police inspector.

In 1798 he moved to the Netherlands, where he helped the privateer Fromentin rob English ships. In Ostend, he was again arrested and sent to the Toulon prison under strict guard, from where he escaped thanks to the help of another prisoner.

Having tried many professions, Vidocq was imprisoned more than once, escaped and again ended up behind bars, for which he was nicknamed the "king of risk" and "werewolf". In 1799, Vidocq escaped from prison once again and lived in Paris for 10 years.
Blackmailed by former prison cell neighbors, he took the plunge: he went to the police prefecture of Paris and offered his services. In 1811, he formed a special brigade of former criminals on the principle: "Only a criminal can overcome crime." Largely for this reason, bad rumors circulated about his office, which did not prevent him from enjoying the favor of his superiors. The brigade was named "Syurte" ("Safety").

Before Vidocq, the detective service did not actually exist, although there were many attempts to create one (one of them was undertaken in England by the famous writer Henry Fielding). Almost immediately after the French "Syurte", such services appeared in other countries.
Under the leadership of Vidocq, 12 people worked, who, together with their tireless boss, achieved unprecedented success in a short time. According to the figures, in a year he detained 15 murderers, 120 burglars, 73 pickpockets, 38 buyers of stolen goods, 227 vagrants. During the same period, he solved 811 crimes and prevented about a hundred. Vidocq knew his "wards" very well, keeping thousands of faces and names of criminals in his memory without any file cabinet. Although his former colleagues sentenced him to death, he appeared without fear in the most remote slums thanks to the art of changing appearance. Coming to the dark places, he rubbed himself into the confidence of their visitors, and they believed him - after all, he masterfully mastered the thieves' jargon, known only to the initiates. Many times the creator of the detective agency asked for participation in crimes and even organized them himself, in order to later extradite police comrades. In just 18 years, 17 thousand people were arrested on his tip, of which more than 400 were sent to the guillotine.

Eugene François Vidocq was at the head of Surte for over 20 years. However, in 1827 he was forced to resign. He was again called to lead the "Surte" during the revolutionary uprisings of 1832, after the suppression of which he was again dismissed.
Vidocq is considered one of the first professional private detectives. The pinnacle of his career was the position of the head of the office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the actual head of the government A. Lamartine during the Revolution of 1848. However, with the coming to power of Emperor Napoleon III, he retired.

As usual, the envious policemen took a dislike to Vidocq. They assured him that he betrayed only a small fry, and freed criminal "generals" for bribes. It was said that his subordinates themselves were engaged in theft - then he dressed his brigade in white gloves, in which a pickpocket could not work (employees of the French Syurte still wear them as a sign of the cleanliness of their uniform).

The former criminal became famous, and King Louis XVIII himself, who came to power after the fall of Napoleon, pardoned him, solemnly canceling the old death sentence.
At the same time, Vidocq had to overcome new difficulties that fate had prepared. And there were many of them - the political life of France was still seething, and it was not easy to sit in one's post. In 1827, Delaveaux, who immediately disliked Vidocq, was appointed prefect of police. Endless checks and nitpicking fell upon his brigade, the King was accused of the fact that his subordinates behave immorally, for example, do not attend church. Delavo's calculation was justified - enraged by this nonsense, Vidocq resigned.

He was not assigned a pension, and soon the detective, accustomed to living in a big way, needed money. Having seized the moment, the publisher Tenon invited him to write his memoirs and paid a generous deposit - 34 thousand francs. A few months later, the first of four volumes of Vidocq's Notes was published, which was a resounding success. We can say that this book, published in France alone with a circulation of 30,000, became one of the first international bestsellers - in the coming years it was translated into eight languages, including Russian.
Subsequently, another dozen books came out from under his pen. Among them were the documentary study "Thieves", and the invaluable for researchers "Dictionary of thieves' slang", and the novel "The Real Secrets of Paris", written in defiance of Eugene Sue's sensational "Parisian Secrets". He also created the treatise “A Few Words from the Author”, where the writer-agent offered his methods of combating crime, including “re-education by labor” and humanization of the conditions of detention of prisoners. To prove his case, Vidocq opened a paper factory in the Parisian suburb of Saint-Mandé, where former convicts worked.

But in 1832 this useful work for society had to be interrupted. A republican uprising broke out in Paris, and Vidocq was again called to the chief of the "Syurte" to fight the rebels. He quickly created "flying detachments" that penetrated the rear of the rebels through secret passages known only to him. The uprising was crushed, and the former convict received the personal gratitude of King Louis Philippe, who called him "the savior of the throne." But his enemies did not calm down - already in September, Vidocq was put on trial, accusing him of provoking a gang of thieves to commit a crime. The detective was at a loss - he always used this method, why is he being tried? One way or another, the thief should be in prison, and why not speed up his sending there? This time, Vidocq left justice, but soon he was dismissed anyway.

In 1833, the tireless Eugene Francois opened his own Bureau of Investigation - the first in France, and, perhaps, in all of Europe, a private detective agency. It was engaged not only in the search for criminals, but also, so to speak, in consulting: here, for a fee of 20 francs, merchants could inquire about their business partners in order to find out the degree of their honesty. During the year, the number of Vidocq's clients reached 4,000; in business circles, it became good form to present a certificate from the Bureau when making a deal. But the enemies of the police did not calm down, putting forward one accusation after another against Vidocq - now a detective.

First, they ransacked his office, confiscating several thousand files. Vidocq did not give up - with his phenomenal memory, he kept the most important facts in his head. Then they again tried to put him on trial, but then the power changed once again - the monarchy became a republic, then Emperor Napoleon III was on the throne. With all this mess, the police forgot about the competitor.
Vidocq's clientele grew from year to year, the Bureau had branches in the provinces. Now, in addition to criminal and economic crime, it was engaged in proving adultery - Eugene Francois had considerable experience in this matter. He worked until his death, which overtook him on May 11, 1857, shortly before his 82nd birthday. The "King of Risk" had no heirs, and a considerable fortune, which two or three illegitimate sons vainly claimed, went to his brainchild - a detective agency.

Before his death, Vidocq said with regret: "I could become a marshal if I didn't love women and duels so much."

The amazing fate of Vidocq, reflected in his memoirs, could not but impress French writers, many of whom were personally acquainted with the famous detective. Vidocq served as the prototype for such characters as:
- Jean Valjean and Inspector Javert in Les Misérables by Victor Hugo;
- Vautrin in "The Human Comedy" by Honore de Balzac;
- Auguste Dupin in "Murder in the Rue Morgue" by Edgar Allan Poe, etc.

There is also a film directed by Jean-Christophe Comar "Vidok" (fr. Vidocq), released in 2001, in which the famous French detective fights a sorcerer nicknamed the Alchemist. The action of the science fiction film takes place against the backdrop of historical events - the July Revolution.

- May 11) - French criminal, who later became the first head of the General Directorate of National Security (fr. Sûreté Nationale), and then one of the first modern private detectives and the "father" of the criminal investigation department in its modern form.

Biography

Most of the information about Vidocq comes from an autobiography written by a "literary negro". According to her, Vidocq was born on July 23, 1775 in the French city of Arras. His father was a baker.

At the age of 14, he apparently accidentally killed his fencing teacher and decided to run away from the city. Initially, he intended to go to America, but spent all the money on an actress, a lady of easy virtue. In the end, a year later, he was forced to join the Bourbon regiment.

He was far from a perfect soldier: he later recalled that he fought 15 duels, killed two opponents, and was subjected to many disciplinary actions. During the war, Francois was forced to go over to the side of the Austrians, but, not wanting to fight against his own, he pretended to be sick before the battle.

Cultural influence

The story of a former criminal turned detective attracted the attention of a number of contemporary and later writers. Eugene Sue used in the novel Paris Secrets, published in 1843, a number of plots in which Vidocq was a participant in reality, but his name is not mentioned in the book, and the central character of the novel Rodolphe becomes their hero (Vidocq himself published in response the following year " The true secrets of Paris”, trying to defend his vision of these stories). Vidocq is called the prototype of the fugitive convict Vautrin (Jacques Collin) - the character of several works by Balzac, included in the cycle "The Human Comedy" and published since 1835. Vautrin in these works appears as a dishonorable and cruel person, but admired by the characters with his "steel character"; just like Vidocq, he went from a criminal to a defender of the law (in "Deputy from Arsi").

After the death of Vidocq, his image was used by Victor Hugo when creating two characters of his Les Misérables at once - the fugitive convict Jean Valjean and the ruthless police inspector Javert obsessed with one goal. In the 1860s, Vidocq's adventures were used for the plots of his books about Lecoq - a former criminal turned detective - Emile Gaboriau. Vidocq's features are seen in the images of the "gentleman thief" Arsène Lupin from the works of Maurice Leblanc, his "colleague" Raffles from the stories of Ernest Hornung and Simon Templar from the novels of Leslie Charteris. Vidocq, under his own name, appears repeatedly as a minor character in later works. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, French television aired three detective series in which he became the main character. In the first series (1967), this role was played by Bernard Noel, in the second and third (filmed in collaboration with Canadian filmmakers), Claude Brasseur took his place. In 2001, Vidocq became the title character of the French film of the same name, where he was portrayed by Gérard Depardieu; the film's plot, however, has nothing to do with the actual activities of the historical Vidocq.

In Russia, Vidocq's name became famous after the Russian translation of his memoirs was published. In April 1830, Pushkin posted (without a signature) in Literaturnaya Gazeta a sharp review of this book, in which literary critics see veiled attacks on Faddey Bulgarin, a conservative writer and editor of The Northern Bee. Around the same time, Pushkin's epigram "" was passed around, where these two people are also linked:

The epigram was printed in Bulgarin's "Son of the Fatherland" on April 26 in a distorted form - the mention of "Vidok Figlyarin" disappeared from the last line. Later, however, this formulation appeared in several more Pushkin's epigrams, as well as in Vyazemsky's epigram "". After that, the name "Vidok" became a household name in Russia, denoting an informer and a spy, and in this capacity, in particular, appears in later epigrams.

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Notes

Literature

• // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg. , 1892. - T. VI. - S. 239.

Links

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Excerpt characterizing Vidocq, Eugene François

Soon after his admission to the brotherhood of Masons, Pierre, with a complete guide written by him for himself on what he was supposed to do on his estates, left for the Kyiv province, where most of his peasants were.
Arriving in Kyiv, Pierre called all the managers to the main office, and explained to them his intentions and desires. He told them that measures would be taken immediately for the complete emancipation of the peasants from serfdom, that until then the peasants should not be burdened with work, that women with children should not be sent to work, that assistance should be given to the peasants, that punishments should be used. exhortations, and not bodily ones, that hospitals, asylums and schools should be established on every estate. Some managers (there were also semi-literate housekeepers) listened frightened, assuming the meaning of the speech was that the young count was dissatisfied with their management and concealment of money; others, after the first fear, found Pierre's lisping and new, unheard-of words amusing; still others simply found the pleasure of listening to the master speak; the fourth, the most intelligent, including the chief manager, understood from this speech how to deal with the master in order to achieve their goals.
The general manager expressed great sympathy for Pierre's intentions; but he noticed that in addition to these transformations, it was necessary in general to attend to affairs that were in a bad state.
Despite the enormous wealth of the Earless Count, since Pierre received it and received, as they said, 500,000 a year income, he felt much less rich than when he received his 10,000 from the late count. In general terms, he had a vague idea of ​​the next budget. About 80 thousand were paid to the Soviet for all estates; about 30 thousand was the cost of maintaining a suburban, Moscow house and princesses; about 15 thousand went into retirement, the same number went to charitable institutions; 150 thousand were sent to the countess for living; interest was paid for debts of about 70 thousand; the construction of the begun church cost these two years about 10 thousand; the rest, about 100,000,000 diverged - he himself did not know how, and almost every year he was forced to borrow. In addition, every year the chief executive wrote about fires, then about crop failures, then about the need to rebuild factories and plants. And so, the first thing that presented itself to Pierre was the one for which he had the least ability and inclination - doing business.
Pierre worked with the chief manager every day. But he felt that his studies did not move things forward one step. He felt that his studies took place independently of the case, that they did not cling to the case and did not force him to move. On the one hand, the chief manager put things in the worst possible light, showing Pierre the need to pay debts and undertake new work by the forces of serfs, to which Pierre did not agree; on the other hand, Pierre demanded the commencement of the case of release, to which the manager exposed the need to first pay the debt of the Board of Trustees, and therefore the impossibility of a quick execution.
The manager didn't say it was completely impossible; to achieve this goal, he proposed the sale of the forests of the Kostroma province, the sale of grassroots lands and the Crimean estate. But all these operations in the speeches of the manager were associated with such complexity of processes, the lifting of prohibitions, demands, permits, etc., that Pierre was at a loss and only said to him:
- Yes, yes, do it.
Pierre did not have that practical tenacity that would have given him the opportunity to directly get down to business, and therefore he did not like him and only tried to pretend to the manager that he was busy with business. The steward, on the other hand, tried to pretend to the count that he considered these activities very useful for the owner and embarrassing for himself.
In the big city there were acquaintances; strangers hurried to get acquainted and warmly welcomed the newly arrived rich man, the largest owner of the province. The temptations towards Pierre's main weakness, the one he confessed to during admission to the lodge, were also so strong that Pierre could not refrain from them. Again, whole days, weeks, months of Pierre's life passed just as preoccupied and busy between evenings, dinners, breakfasts, balls, not giving him time to come to his senses, as in Petersburg. Instead of the new life that Pierre hoped to lead, he lived the same old life, only in a different environment.
Of the three appointments of Freemasonry, Pierre was aware that he did not fulfill the one that prescribed each Freemason to be a model of moral life, and of the seven virtues he did not have two at all in himself: good morality and love of death. He consoled himself with the fact that in return he fulfilled a different purpose - the correction of the human race and had other virtues, love for one's neighbor, and especially generosity.
In the spring of 1807, Pierre decided to go back to Petersburg. On the way back, he intended to go around all his estates and personally ascertain what was done from what was prescribed for them and in what position is now the people that God entrusted to him, and which he sought to benefit.
The chief manager, who considered all the undertakings of the young count almost madness, a disadvantage for himself, for him, for the peasants, made concessions. Continuing the work of liberation to make it impossible, he ordered the construction of large buildings of schools, hospitals and shelters on all estates; for the arrival of the master, he prepared meetings everywhere, not magnificently solemn, which, he knew, Pierre would not like, but precisely such religious thanksgiving, with images and bread and salt, exactly such that, as he understood the master, should have affected the count and deceived him .
The southern spring, the calm, quick journey in a Viennese carriage and the solitude of the road had a joyful effect on Pierre. The estates that he had not yet visited were - one more picturesque than the other; the people everywhere seemed prosperous and touchingly grateful for the good deeds done to them. There were meetings everywhere, which, although they embarrassed Pierre, but in the depths of his soul evoked a joyful feeling. In one place, the peasants brought him bread, salt and the image of Peter and Paul, and asked permission in honor of his angel Peter and Paul, as a token of love and gratitude for the good deeds he had done, to erect a new chapel in the church at their own expense. Elsewhere, women with babies met him, thanking him for getting rid of hard work. At the third estate, he was met by a priest with a cross, surrounded by children, whom he, by the grace of the count, taught literacy and religion. In all the estates, Pierre saw with his own eyes, according to one plan, the stone buildings of hospitals, schools, almshouses, which were supposed to be opened soon, erected and erected already. Everywhere Pierre saw the reports of the administrators about corvée work, reduced against the previous one, and heard the touching thanksgiving of deputations of peasants in blue caftans for this.
Pierre just didn’t know that where they brought him bread and salt and built a chapel of Peter and Paul, there was a trading village and a fair on Peter’s Day, that the chapel had already been built long ago by the rich peasants of the village, those who came to him, and that nine The peasants of this village were in the greatest ruin. He did not know that due to the fact that, on his orders, they stopped sending women children with babies to corvée, these same children carried the most difficult work in their quarters. He did not know that the priest, who met him with a cross, weighed down the peasants with his requisitions, and that the disciples gathered to him with tears were given to him, and for a lot of money were paid off by their parents. He did not know that the stone buildings, according to the plan, were erected by their workers and increased the corvée of the peasants, reduced only on paper. He did not know that where the steward pointed out to him, according to the book, that the dues should be reduced by one third at his will, the corvée service was added by half. And therefore, Pierre was delighted with his journey through the estates, and completely returned to the philanthropic mood in which he left Petersburg, and wrote enthusiastic letters to his mentor, brother, as he called the great master.
“How easy, how little effort is needed to do so much good, thought Pierre, and how little we care about it!”
He was happy with the gratitude shown to him, but he was ashamed when he accepted it. This gratitude reminded him of how much more he would have been able to do for these simple, kind people.
The chief manager, a very stupid and cunning person, completely understanding the smart and naive count, and playing with him like a toy, seeing the effect produced on Pierre by prepared methods, more decisively turned to him with arguments about the impossibility and, most importantly, the uselessness of freeing the peasants, who, even without they were completely happy.
Pierre, in the secret of his soul, agreed with the manager that it was difficult to imagine people happier, and that God knows what awaited them in the wild; but Pierre, though reluctantly, insisted on what he thought was just. The manager promised to use all his strength to carry out the will of the count, clearly realizing that the count would never be able to believe him, not only whether all measures had been taken to sell forests and estates, to ransom him from the Council, but he would probably never ask and not learns about how the buildings that have been built stand empty and the peasants continue to give work and money everything that they give from others, that is, everything that they can give.

In the happiest state of mind, returning from his southern journey, Pierre fulfilled his long-standing intention to call on his friend Bolkonsky, whom he had not seen for two years.

Who was this Frenchman a thunderstorm, or still the king of bandits !!

Famous French detective. Served in the army. He was convicted of desertion and treason; for theft was sentenced to six years in the galleys, fled. He joined the police as a detective and rose to the rank of head of the police squad. After retiring, he wrote "Memoirs" (1826). In 1836 he organized a private detective bureau, which was closed by the authorities. In 1844 he published The True Secrets of Paris.

Eugene François Vidocq 1775-1857

Eugene François Vidocq is a man whose activities cannot be unambiguously assessed.

More than 17 thousand criminals caught, the founding of the criminal police in France, the opening of the world's first detective agency, the creation of personal cards for each detainee - this is an incomplete list of all his accomplishments. A man of extraordinary intelligence, not devoid of a craving for adventure and danger - how did he do so many things in those days? The answer lies in his childhood and youth, it was they who helped him become a man - a legend in his life.

The future scourge of criminals was born in the family of a baker from Arras, in 1775. Until the age of 35, Vidocq's life was a chain of chaotic adventures. According to Eugene, the father hoped that the unlucky offspring would eventually come to his senses and take his place in the bakery. But no! In the irrepressible fantasy of his son, only adventures circled like a whirlwind. Having stolen two thousand francs from his father's cash register, Vidocq ran away from his parents' house, intending to go to America. But in the nearest port, the teenager was robbed by scammers. Left without a penny in his pocket, he joined a troupe of itinerant artists. On the stage of the booth, his talent for impersonation was fully manifested. Vidocq skillfully changed his appearance, voice, manners, which was very useful to him in the future.

The year was 1791. France was at war with all of Europe. Fed up with a booth, Vidocq volunteered to join the army. At the age of 16 he was promoted to corporal of the grenadiers. Tall, stately, broad-shouldered, well wielding weapons, Vidocq quickly made a career in the Republican army, but he was let down by a quarrelsome, proud, explosive and cocky character. For six months, he fought in duels with fifteen opponents, two of whom he killed. After a quarrel with a non-commissioned officer, he had to desert: duels with seniors were forbidden, and Vidocq was threatened with severe punishment. He went over to the Austrians and Prussians, then under a false name he returned to his own. In the intervals between service in the most diverse troops, Vidocq managed to be a smuggler and a corsair, and participated in naval battles. A trail of scandals, scams and frauds trailed behind him like smoke from a fire.

But sooner or later, such a life comes to an end and Vidocq was no exception. Before going to prison, Eugene was an actor and a soldier, a sailor and a puppeteer, and finally became
a prisoner (for having beaten an officer who seduced one of his girlfriends), who committed
some daring escapes. But even in prison, the future police chief did not lose heart. Vidocq was nicknamed the "King of Risk", he became a legend and authority of the entire criminal world of France. The resourceful and tireless prisoner dug tunnels, sawed through the bars, jumped from the dizzying height of the prison tower into the icy raging river flowing under it, pretended to be sick and disappeared from the prison infirmary in a dress the nun who cared for him. He even managed to escape from prison, then in a stolen gendarme uniform. But every time he was caught, and in the end Vidocq was sentenced to hard labor and put in chains. In prisons, Vidocq lived for years side by side with the most dangerous criminals of those days. Among others - with members of the famous French clan Cornu. Members of this clan of murderers, accustoming their children to future crimes, gave them the heads of the dead to play with.
teaching their children about future crimes, they gave them the heads of the dead to play with.

In 1799, Vidocq escaped from prison for the third time, this time successfully. For ten years he lived in

Paris, selling clothes. But all these years, former cellmates threatened Vidocq that they would extradite

His authorities. Eugene knew perfectly well that he would not be left alone. But what to do? Pay tribute and live all your life in fear that he will be extradited? Or kill the blackmailers? But Vidocq chose a non-standard and decisive path: he went to the police prefecture of Paris and offered to use the rich experience and knowledge of the criminal world he had acquired over many years of imprisonment to fight crime. In return, he asked to be relieved of the threat of arrest for previous deeds.
Seven decades later, some representatives of Surte were already experiencing the well-known
awkwardness when it came to Vidocq and the birth of Surte. Didn't knit too much
biography of the latter until 1810 with the ideas that have developed over 70 years about
the origin and life path of not just a policeman, but the chief of the criminal police. To
By this time, everyone had forgotten the difficult situation that then forced Henri - the chief
First Division, and Baron Pasquio, acting Prefect of the Police of Paris,
make an unprecedented decision: to assign Vidocq to lead the fight against crime in
Paris.

In order to hide from the criminal world the true role of Vidocq, his
first arrested, and then, having arranged another successful escape from prison,
released.
Near the prefecture of police, in a gloomy building on little St. Anne's street, and
Vidocq settled. In choosing employees, he was guided by the principle: "To overcome
Only a criminal can commit a crime." At first, only 4 worked for Vidocq, then 12 and
then 20 former prisoners; he paid them salaries from a secret fund and
held in the strictest discipline.
In just one year, Vidocq with twelve employees managed to arrest 812 murderers (!!!),
thieves, burglars, robbers and swindlers, liquidated brothels in which he had not
not a single magistrate or inspector dared to poke his head. For 20 years, the Vidocq organization (which soon became known as "Syurte")
grew and grew stronger, becoming the core from which the whole French culture subsequently developed.
criminal police.
Thousand-faced reincarnations, secret penetrations into brothels staged
arrests, “planting” of Surte’s employees in prison cells, then organizing their “escapes”, even staging the death of employees after they completed their tasks - all this provided Vidocq with a continuous flow of necessary information.

Thorough knowledge of the underworld, its members, their habits and methods
crimes, patience, intuition, the ability to get used to the image of the observed, the need to be aware of every fate, so as never to lose "a sense of the criminal", tenacious visual
memory and, finally, an archive in which information was collected about the appearance and methods of "work"
all the criminals known to him, formed a solid basis for the successful activities of Vidocq.
Even when it became impossible for Vidocq to further hide his role as Chef Surte, he
continued to appear systematically in prisons, if only to memorize
faces of criminals. The criminal world declared war on Vidocq, but he easily avoided the traps set. Several attempts on his life ended in nothing. The chief of "Syurte" preempted the blows: having information, he was always one step ahead of his opponents.

When the entire criminal world of France already knew perfectly well that Vidocq was the chief of Surte, he began to systematically visit prisons, where he examined the prisoners, memorizing their faces and appearance. In this way he developed a photographic memory. In his work as a detective, Vidocq made extensive use of the actor's talent. He skillfully reincarnated as a coal miner and a water carrier, a junk worker and an artisan, appeared in taverns and rooming houses, brothels and slums, where criminals of all stripes sat out after the “case”. Under the guise of a criminal hiding from justice, Vidocq easily gained their confidence. Cold-blooded and observant, an excellent physiognomist, Vidok methodically collected information in the camp of the enemy and, having accurately calculated everything, arrested former "colleagues" in the "hot", red-handed. During his 18 years of service at Surt, Vidocq brought 17,000 criminals to justice, more than all the policemen in the country put together.

But still, in 1833 Vidocq had to resign, as the new prefect of police, Henri Giske, did not want to put up with the fact that the entire staff of the criminal police of Paris consists of former prisoners. The active Vidocq immediately opened a private detective office (perhaps the first in the world) "Bureau of Investigation in the Interests of Trade", whose task was to protect entrepreneurs from swindlers. Vidocq's clients were not only merchants, industrialists and bankers, but also aristocrats, ministers, princes of royal blood. Branches of a private agency were created throughout France. Every year, the former convict earned up to 6 million francs! Eugene became a successful businessman and writer, more than once suggested plots for novels to the great Balzac, so he lived the rest of his days very interestingly. Vidocq died in 1857 at the age of eighty-two. Until his last minute, he lived without fear, risking and hoping. They say that in his dying delirium he whispered that he could become Kleber or Murat, achieve a marshal's baton, but he loved women and duels too much.

Surte survived four political upheavals in France: from Napoleon to
Bourbons, from the Bourbons - to the July monarchy of Louis Philippe of Orleans, from the July
monarchies - to the empire of Napoleon III, from Napoleon III - to the Third Republic.
From Vidocq's gloomy headquarters on Rue Sainte Anne, Surte moved first to
less gloomy room on Ke-d "0rlog and finally housed in the prefecture building on
Ke-d "0rfevr. Now several hundred inspectors worked here, and not twenty employees, as in Vidocq's time. Vidocq's subordinates with a criminal past gave way to more or less respectable townsfolk. But neither Allar and Canle, nor Claude and Mase, in fact , never abandoned the methods of work that Vidocq introduced into practice; moreover, the number of former criminals whom they attracted as paid employees and fillers was constantly growing.
Criminals expelled from Paris, but still illegally returning to it, criminals, upon re-arrest, were faced with a choice: either work for Syurte, or again fall behind prison bars. Surte still did not neglect the introduction of her agents (their
called "rams") to prison cells, so that they would enter into the confidence of their neighbors and
cunningly obtained from them the necessary information. The inspectors themselves regularly visited
prisons and ordered prisoners to be led around in the prison yard in order, as Vidocq once did, to train “photographic memory” for faces, capturing them in his
such a "parade" remained the most common method of identifying previously convicted criminals, and sometimes helped to find among the prisoners those who were wanted for other crimes.

The Vidocq archive has become a gigantic bureaucratic structure. Mountains of papers
lay in disarray in gloomy and dusty rooms lit by gas jets
prefectures. Here, a card was created for each exposed criminal. into her
the following were entered: surname, type of crime committed, criminal record, description of appearance; in
the sum of such cards was collected about five million. And their numbers kept growing.
since by that time all hotels and visiting yards began to be subjected to verification, and even all visiting foreigners were taken into account. In addition, since the photographs of criminals began in one of the Brussels prisons in the 1940s, the number of their portraits accumulated by the Parisian prefecture amounted to 80 thousand pieces. However, no matter how foreigners admired the quick exposure in Paris of criminals who fled there from their country, and no matter what legends were born about the Parisian police, Surte was waiting for her new talent, which would infuse new breath into the methods of investigation of the French criminal police.

Also filmed was a film directed by Jean-Christophe KomAra (creative pseudonym "Pitof"), released in 2001, in which the famous French detective Vidocq (historical figure) fights with a sorcerer nicknamed the Alchemist, who steals other people's souls.

Famous French detective. Served in the army. He was convicted of desertion and treason; for theft was sentenced to six years in the galleys, fled. He joined the police as a detective and rose to the rank of head of the police squad. After retiring, he wrote "Memoirs" (1826). In 1836 he organized a private detective bureau, which was closed by the authorities. In 1844 he published The True Secrets of Paris.

Eugene Francois Vidocq was born on July 23, 1775 in Arras, near Lille, in the family of a baker. On the night of his birth, it was pouring rain, and the relative who delivered the baby suggested that he would have a stormy life.

Eugene Francois was a strong and handsome guy. He worked as a peddler of bread from house to house. But Vidocq was thirsty for adventure, and, having taken two thousand francs from his parents' cash desk, he went to Ostend, from where he could sail to America. But in Ostend, the gullible young man was robbed. Vidocq joined a traveling troupe of artists. Here his talent as an imitator was manifested, which subsequently saved his life more than once. Then he helped a wandering doctor to invite buyers. Pushing around, Eugene Francois returned to his native Arras. But he did not stay there for long either. In 1791, when the young French Republic was going through difficult times, Vidocq went to Paris as a deputy to the Estates General.

In the capital, he volunteered for the army, where he was enlisted as a huntsman due to his strong appearance, posture and ability to fence. Before the battle with the Austrians, he was promoted to corporal of the grenadiers. However, Eugene Francois endlessly started quarrels and in six months managed to fight several duels, killing two opponents in the process. After a collision with a non-commissioned officer, Vidocq was forced to go over to the side of the Austrians, who identified him as a cuirassier. But the traitor did not want to fight against his own and pretended to be sick. Leaving the hospital, Vidocq offered the garrison officers to learn swordsmanship from him. There was no end to the students. Eugene François made good money on this, but soon quarreled again, this time with the foreman, for which he received twenty lashes as punishment. Vidocq, refusing fencing lessons, got a job as a batman to the general, who was to go to the army. On the way, Eugene François fled from his boss and, posing as a Belgian, joined the cavalry. When an amnesty was announced, he left the service and returned to Arras.

At this time, terror was already rampant in the country. The period of "guillo-tinades" began. Vidocq, having seen enough of the terrible executions in his native city, re-joined the army.

The quick-tempered Eugene François slapped one of his commanders in a quarrel. And only the battle with the Austrians, and then the wound - two fingers hurt him with a bullet - allowed Vidocq to avoid severe punishment. He escaped from the hospital.

On the way to Brussels, he was stopped by a police patrol. Since he did not have a passport, Vidocq was arrested and sent to prison. In order not to be exposed, the adventurer escaped from prison and hid with his Girlfriend. After waiting a little, he put on an overcoat, put a black taffeta with a band-aid over his eye, and in this masquerade went to Amsterdam.

In the spring of 1796, Vidocq arrived in Paris. But even here the adventurer was let down by his explosive nature: having quarreled with an officer, Vidocq, fearing arrest, was forced to leave the capital. He made his way to the frontier town of Lille, a city of great opportunity. Here he fell in love with a certain Francine. The girl turned out to be loving, the captain of the engineering troops used her services. Vidocq, having caught them in an unambiguous pose, beat his opponent in a rage, for which he was imprisoned for three months in St. Peter's Tower. Here that fateful event occurred, which predetermined his entire future fate.

Among the prisoners was Sebastien Boitel, sentenced to six years for stealing bread. This peasant, who had a large family, was very upset by the separation from his wife and children. He said that he would pay generously to the one who freed him. Herbo and Gruar, convicted of forgery, volunteered to help the poor fellow. Wishing to receive a reward, in a few days they concocted the document necessary for the release. Soon a messenger appeared and handed over to the jailer a package containing a document fabricated by swindlers - an order for release. When the jailer showed the order to the inspector, he immediately recognized the fake. In this case, both swindlers, the jailer and Buatel, were brought to justice. They all testified that Vidocq was the instigator of this adventure, and he was sentenced to eight years in shackles.

At this dramatic moment, a repentant Francine came to see him. With her help, Vidocq made a daring escape from prison. The girl brought him the uniform of a prison inspector. Having made up and dressed up to look like an inspector, Vidocq passed the unsuspecting guards and left the Tower of St. Peter. However, he was soon caught, and he again ended up in prison. But the thought of escape now did not leave him.

Once Vidocq and several other prisoners were summoned for interrogation. In addition to the prisoners, there were two gendarmes in the room. One guard went out, leaving his greatcoat and hat near Vidocq. Another was called at the same time. Vidocq quickly donned an overcoat and put on a hat, grabbed one of the prisoners by the hand and resolutely went to the door, pretending to accompany him to the toilet. The soldiers in the corridor let them through.

Once free, Eugene Francois immediately went to Francine, where the police were already waiting for him. The daring fugitive was sent to the Bicêtre prison in Paris, from where he had a road to hard labor in Brest.

In Bicêtre, where Vidocq arrived with a party of convicts, shackled along the way in pairs with a thick iron hoop and heavy leg shackles, he met the fist fighter Jacques Gutel, from whom he learned a lot.

In this prison, prisoners could move freely around the territory and go about their business. Many received tools and money from the outside to escape.

Vidocq did not stay long in Bicêtre. Soon the prisoners began to prepare for sending to hard labor. Collars were cut off on clothes, fields on hats. Then everyone was bound in pairs with a chain attached to a common iron bar for twenty-six prisoners, that is, they could only move together.

Twenty-four days later, a party of five hundred convicts arrived in Brest, where they were dressed in red jackets with the letters OAV, green caps with iron badges and numbers, the brand TR (hard labor) was burned on the shoulders of each, and their legs were shackled. Vidocq tried several times to escape, but failed. Finally, having filed his shackles and dressed in the dress of a nun who looked after him in the prison infirmary, he fled. Vidocq reached Nantes, where he got hold of peasant clothes.

He returned to Arras and told his parents about his misadventures. This story was more fiction than truth, but the parents realized that their son was on the run, and sent him to a former Carmelite monk in a small village. Vidocq began to help the monk in worship and teaching children. Eugene François coped with this role excellently, no one even thought that the young monk was a runaway convict. This time it was his passion for women that let him down. One night, in the hayloft, he was seized by local jealous women. He was stripped and whipped with nettles, after which he was pushed naked into the street. A few days later, having recovered, Vidocq went to Rotterdam.

In Holland, Vidocq was employed as a sailor on a privateer. Nobody demanded a passport from him, so he called himself Auguste Deval. He boarded English merchant ships, for France was at war with England, for which he received his share of the captured booty. Having saved up a decent amount, Vidocq began to think about starting his own business, but in Ostend the police raided the privateer. Since Vidocq had no documents, he was offered to go ashore and wait at the station until his identity was established. On the way to the station, Vidocq tried to escape, but failed. He was sent to Toulon, where he was given the clothes of a convict and shackled in hand shackles. For the escape of Vidoka, the sentence was increased by three years. He found himself among the "turnhorses", that is, fugitive and re-captured criminals. They were even released from work to exclude the possibility of escape.

Content in Toulon was much worse than in Brest. Eugène François was starved for food, slept on planks, was chained to a bench, and suffered abuse. To be admitted to the hospital, he pretended to be sick. And when the paramedic inadvertently left his frock coat, hat and cane, Vidok, dressed in his dress and made up with the help of a pre-prepared wig, safely escaped from prison. However, this time he did not get far.

Vidocq was nicknamed the "king of risk" for his daring escapes. Legends began to be told about him. It was said that he was a werewolf, capable of passing through walls, that he did not burn in fire and did not sink in water. Once Vidocq really jumped into the river from the prison window. Twilight came on, it was difficult to swim. He was cold, his strength was running out, nevertheless, the fugitive managed to get ashore. Another time, in winter, he threw himself into a stormy river to escape the police. The pursuers thought that the fugitive had drowned, but luck was on Vidocq's side.

Once again he was arrested in Manta. As a convict, he was sent to Paris, accompanied by gendarmes who had instructions with them: “Vidok (Eugène Francois) was sentenced to death in absentia. This subject is extremely enterprising and dangerous. Until Paris, they did not take their eyes off him. He understood that this time his situation was very serious, so there was only one way out - to run.

In Paris, Vidocq was thrown into a prison located in the Louvre Bell Tower. On the very first night, the “king of risk” fled, sawing through the bars on the window and descending a rope woven from sheets.

New adventures lay ahead. At first, Vidocq hid, disguised as a captured Austrian. Then he served on a pirate ship, went boarding with the famous pirates Paul and Jean Bart, drowned during a storm. Then he again entered the army, where he received the rank of corporal of naval artillery. And then fate brought him to the members of the secret society "Olympians", in the secrets of which he was involuntarily initiated.

This secret society, according to Vidocq, was organized in Boulogne on the model of Masonic lodges. It allowed sailors - from the midshipman to the captain of the ship, and from the land army - from non-commissioned officer to colonel. Members of the society were bound by an oath of "mutual assistance and patronage." The political orientation of the "Olympians" could be judged by the signs they adopted - a hand with a sword surrounded by clouds, an overturned bust of Napoleon below. Nevertheless, the activities of the secret society did not cause concern to the authorities. But the cautious Minister of Police sent his agent into the ranks of the conspirators, who acted very successfully. It was from a secret agent, when he drank too much, that Vidocq learned about the existence of the Olympians. Soon, many members of the secret society were arrested, apparently on the denunciation of this police agent.

Although Vidocq then refused the offer to become an informer, but this thought sunk into his head, because he wanted to live honestly. Eugene François, after hesitating, wrote a letter to the colonel of the gendarmerie, in which he reported that he knew who had committed the last high-profile robbery. He described the appearance of the criminals, and soon, according to these signs, they were captured. True, Vidocq did not sign the letter.

A little later, he became aware of the impending robbery and murder. This time, Vidocq went to the Parisian police prefecture to the chief of its First Department, Mr. Henri, who was in charge of the fight against criminal offenses. The police officer received the informer favorably, but at the same time stated that he could not give him any guarantees, and the deal did not take place.

Soon Vidocq ended up in the Bicetra prison, where he was accepted as a recognized authority of the criminal world. The criminals obeyed him, catered to him. Meanwhile, Vidok again offered his services to the police, and on condition of release from hard labor and serving a sentence in any prison. He sent Mr. Arnie a message with important information, assuring him that he would continue to provide valuable information. M. Arnie reported his proposal to the Prefect of Police, Pasquier. He, on reflection, gave his consent.

Vidocq was transferred to Force Prison, with a less strict regime. During the twenty-one months that he was in prison, the police, thanks to his denunciations, managed to expose and arrest many dangerous criminals. Considering his merits, Vidok organized an escape so as not to arouse suspicion from accomplices.

Thus, one of the most amazing transformations of the “king of risk” took place. From a criminal persecuted and persecuted by society, he became his zealous defender. He rightly considered Henri and Pasquier to be his benefactors. The same Mr. Henri directed Vidocq's first steps in the field of detective work. He was a cold-blooded man with a strong character, besides a very observant, excellent physiognomist. In the criminal environment, he was called Satan or the Evil Genius. And he deserved those nicknames. A born policeman, he had a true detective talent. Henri had two faithful assistants - the investigator Berto and the head of prisons Parisot.

Vidocq was tasked with clearing Paris of criminal elements. In the submission of the newly minted chief of the criminal police there were only four assistants - the same as he, former prisoners. The first major success of Vidocq was associated with the name of the famous counterfeiter Vatren, for the capture of which he received a cash reward.

The "King of Risk" could transform into anyone. During the hunt for criminals, he appeared on the streets of Paris, in dens and slums under the guise of a servant, artisan, coal miner and water carrier. Moreover, he could equally deftly wear the costume of a tramp and an aristocrat. In the fight against criminals, he chose the method of personal observation. Visiting hot places under false names, Vidocq pretended to be pursued by the police, and gained confidence. Thieves, bandits and swindlers considered him theirs on the board, because he spoke with them in thieves' jargon, knew the laws of the criminal world, told stories about his adventures. Every day Vidocq managed to catch someone, but none of those arrested even suspected that he was behind bars at his mercy.

Vidocq's office was located on St. Anna Street, not far from the police prefecture. He selected his assistants from among former criminals. Initially, the department consisted of four people, then expanded to twelve. Nevertheless, Vidocq managed to arrest up to a hundred murderers, thieves and swindlers a year, neutralize entire gangs. The criminal world declared war on Vidocq, threatening reprisals. The policemen, who envied his dexterity and luck, also disliked him. They spread rumors that Vidocq was receiving bribes from criminals, while they themselves colluded with the bandits, revealing to them the plans of their colleague

Despite these intrigues, his authority with his superiors continued to grow. Vidocq was entrusted with the most dangerous and difficult cases, with which he always successfully coped. But he was still considered a secret agent, he was not pardoned, although the position promised freedom. And only after becoming the head of the Syurte detective - the criminal police, Vidocq felt that he had achieved recognition and gratitude.

He seriously thought about restructuring the entire system of punishing criminals - first of all, he proposed improving prison conditions, since he knew from his own experience that a cruel regime embitters a person, especially those who were imprisoned for an insignificant offense.

True, there were also those who urged not to trust the “Vidocq gang”, since it included former pickpockets and criminals. Then he ordered his employees to constantly wear suede gloves, in which no pickpocket could work.

Meanwhile, on account of the department there were already more than seventeen thousand (!) Detained criminals. He managed to uncover several thefts committed in the apartments of the Prince of Condé, with Marshal Bouchus, in the Louvre Museum, where the Comte de Roussillon was detained, whose pockets were full of jewelry, and in other houses of aristocrats and bankers.

In 1827, Delaveaux was appointed prefect of police, with whom Vidocq did not immediately develop a relationship. The chief began to find fault, to reproach the subordinate for the fact that the employees of his department disgrace the policemen outside the service (in particular, they do not attend church). Eugene François eventually could not stand the unfair reproaches and, after 18 years of police service, resigned.

A few days later, a report appeared in the newspapers: the police commissioner informed Vidocq that, by order of the prefect of police, Monsieur Lacourt, a former deputy of the department, would replace him as chief of Surte. That same evening Vidocq left for his country house. He was paid three thousand francs, but no pension was awarded.

Almost immediately after the resignation, Vidocq sat down to write his memoirs. Publisher Tenon paid him a deposit - 24 thousand francs. The memoirs of the former detective published in 1827 were translated into many European languages, including Russian.

Vidocq settled in St. Mande, bought land, built a new house, set up a paper mill. At the same time, most often he hired workers from former convicts who could not earn themselves honest labor for a piece of bread.

Vidocq's personal life has remained under the cover of secrecy. He was sometimes represented as a kind of Don Juan, who seduced more than one hundred girls. Vidocq did often fall in love, and preferred actresses and milliners, whose claims were not very burdensome. At 45, he married Jeanne-Victoire Guérin, a 30-year-old widow. Four years later, his wife died. His next chosen one, 30-year-old cousin Fleuride-Albertine Magnier, became his real assistant and friend.

In 1830, the July Revolution took place in France, and in 1832, another uprising. At this time, the power of Louis Philippe hung in the balance. Vidocq was again offered to lead Surte. After hesitating, he agreed. Under his command again were his twenty employees from former criminals. A small department successfully acted against the rebels. Vidocq was later called the savior of the kingdom. But the troubled days had hardly passed when the opposition press attacked Vidocq with criticism. Then the prefect of police Giske united Surte with the municipal police and invited Vidocq to resign.

The "King of Risk" decided to create his own, private police. His "Bureau of Investigations for Trade" on the Rue Neuve-Saint-Eustache was dedicated to protecting entrepreneurs from swindlers. A potential client had to subscribe to the services of the bureau and pay a purely symbolic fee - 20 francs per year.

A year later, he already had four thousand subscribers - merchants, bankers, industrialists. Bureau branches sprang up in the provinces and abroad. Vidocq's income at the time was in the millions, which worried the prefecture.

On November 28, 1837, four police commissioners and twenty agents broke into Vidocq's office. In the hands of the police there were about six thousand documents, including the personal archive of the head of the bureau.

Vidocq began to protest and write to the newspapers. He filed a complaint with the crown prosecutor, hired the famous lawyer Charles Ledra, and sued the prefect of police and his subordinates. After taking steps in his own defense, Vidocq was thrown into St. Pelagie prison. The trial drew 350 witnesses. Vidocq counted on the objectivity of the judges. He was found not guilty and released from custody.

At sixty-three, he continued to head his bureau, whose clients included princes of royal blood, earls, barons, and ministers. But at the same time, Ulysses Perrenot appeared among his twenty employees, who was instructed by the police to keep an eye on Vidocq.

In the summer of 1842, Vidocq was approached by several people who became victims of the swindler Shempe. Vidocq met with the swindler and convinced him to return the money in exchange for freedom. However, Shempe was soon arrested. Vidocq was accused of abuse of authority, as well as the fact that he allegedly arrested and then kidnapped Champe. To Vidocq's surprise, the swindler confirmed this absurd accusation and sued him. And again Vidocq was imprisoned in the Conciergerie, where he spent more than a year, after which the court sentenced him to five years in prison, five years of strict supervision and a fine of three thousand. Vidocq filed an appeal. The well-known lawyer Landrien delivered a brilliant role in defense of his ward at the retrial, which to a large extent influenced the decision of the court that delivered the acquittal.

Alas, the last imprisonment in the Conciergerie prison affected his work. The clientele has drastically dwindled. Finally, he realized that he was on the verge of ruin. This happened during the revolution of 1848. With the coming to power of Napoleon III, Vidocq left the department and retired to his estate. The authorities left him alone. The former detective, finding himself in a bad financial situation, tried to secure a pension for himself. He eked out a miserable existence when he was finally given a monthly pension of 100 francs.

Vidocq died in 1857 at the age of eighty-two. Until his last minute, he lived without fear, risking and hoping. They say that in his dying delirium he whispered that he could become Kleber or Murat, achieve a marshal's baton, but he loved women and duels too much.

French criminal, detective and writer Eugene Francois Vidocq had the most significant impact on the emergence of the detective genre and became the prototype of many literary heroes.

Eugene Francois Vidocq(Eugene-François Vidocq) was born on the night of July 23-24, 1775 in Arras (France). His father was a baker and a very practical person, and therefore quickly attached his son to work, entrusting him with the delivery of bread to buyers from the city. Eugene was the third child in the family of the baker Nicolas Joseph Francois Vidocq. In total, Vidocq had four brothers and two sisters. Little is known about the childhood of the future celebrity, except for the nickname Sword because he spent a lot of time in fencing lessons. But Vidocq grew up as an uncontrollable child, quickly began to steal from his parents. At first, he spent the stolen money on the usual joys for the youth of that time, but later he began to save money, hoping to collect the amount necessary for a trip to the New World. Ironically, the stolen money did not bring him happiness, he was robbed on the way to the port and, after a series of misadventures, he was forced to return to his home. When the money Vidocq at first was afraid to return home and was forced to earn extra money as a juggler in a traveling circus. He also portrayed an ogre from the Caribbean and eating raw meat in front of the audience. Unable to withstand regular beatings, he fled and joined a group of puppeteers, but was also expelled from there because he flirted with the owner's wife. While moonlighting as a street vendor, he reached his native Arras, asked for forgiveness from his parents and was received with open arms, but out of harm's way they sent him to the army.

The service was successful, Vidocq participated in the battles of Valmy and Zhammapes and returned to his hometown alive and unharmed. Here, in 1794, he married Marie-Anne-Louise Chevalier, but he soon left because he found out about her affair with another man. Failure on the personal front caused a trip to Belgium, where Vidocq got a job as an officer in the army. There he was known as a bully with a quick temper and a formidable duelist. In six months, he fought 15 times and killed 2 people in the process. After another quarrel with a colleague, he was sent to prison.

From this moment begins a period consisting of a series of conclusions and escapes. Vidocq does not seem to find a place for himself in a peaceful life. In 1796, he was sentenced to eight years of forced labor for forging a document emancipating laborers. In 1798 he was transferred to Brest, from where he successfully escaped, and the very next year he was caught and imprisoned again. The following year he was transferred to Toulon, after which a series of escapes and conclusions followed. Vidocq acquired a reputation as a successful fugitive among the criminal elements of Paris and entered their circle. The only exact date in this period was the divorce from his first wife in 1805.

Numerous crimes in the form of forgery, escapes and thefts led to the fact that he was sentenced to death, but since he managed to escape once again, his friend was executed, which Vidocq witnessed. This execution had a strong influence on him, and the clever criminal decides to change his lifestyle.

In 1809, Vidocq decided to go legal and offered his services to the police. In his letter to Chief Surte, he discussed in detail the unprecedented prevalence of crime in Paris and hinted that he knew one person who was well acquainted with the criminal world, since he himself was a former criminal. So Vidocq hinted at his own benefit for criminal investigations. But the leadership of the police believed that this was just another sophisticated trick of another swindler, and Vidocq was identified to begin with as a secret agent of Surte.

So that his cooperation would not arouse suspicion, in 1810, with the approval of the new police prefect of Paris, with whom Vidocq later became friends, he was arranged another jail break. And in 1811, Vidocq was given police powers and appointed head of the detective department in Surte. By 1817, 17 agents worked in Vidocq's department, and 772 arrests were made under his leadership, which was an absolute record for those years. In 1824, his department consisted of 31 agents, including 5 women.

In 1820 Vidocq married Jeanne Victoire Guerin (Jeanne-Victoire Guerin), who died in 1824, after which he married his cousin Fluride Manez (Fleuride Maniez).

By 1827, Vidocq was such a popular figure in Paris that he had a lot of envious people who, by intrigues, forced him to resign. Vidocq bought a paper factory and used ex-convicts to cut costs. The business was so successful that Vidocq turned to writing his memoirs. Full of incredible adventures and unprecedented details for that time, Vidocq's books were sold in huge numbers.

In a moment of political instability in 1831, Vidocq returned to the police force and was even rumored to have been instrumental in securing the throne for Louis Philippe. But the new prefect of the Parisian police was one of the secret envious of the former criminal, and therefore forced Vidocq to resign once again with an open confrontation.

Vidocq was a very sociable person and easily made friends with prominent figures of French culture and literature. In 1832 he met Honoré de Balzac, who was fascinated by the criminal policeman and described Vidocq as human comedy . Vidocq was also familiar with Victor Hugo and a number of poets of that time. He himself wrote crime novels, which became models that many of the creators of the first detective stories later relied on.

Creativity Vidocq

Eugene Francois Vidocq was the first official detective of the Western world. After leading the life of a vagabond, actor, soldier, robber, card player and convict, he was appointed police informer in 1809. Two years later, he went from an agent to head of the detective department in Surte. The phenomenal success of his investigations was vividly described in his memoirs, and Vidocq became a legend not only in France, but also in England and Germany. His books were printed even in the USA and Russia.

Vidocq's memoirs played a major role in the emergence of the detective genre. It was these memoirs that inspired Edgar Allan Poe to create the first detective stories. But Po thought Vidocq brilliant guesser It was by pushing away from the intuitive disclosure of cases that the American writer created Dupin's logic. The hero of Edgar Allan Poe is the mask of the writer himself, and the complete opposite of Vidocq. If the French detective is a bourgeois, a bourgeois and a bureaucrat, Auguste Dupin is an aristocrat, a poet with a mathematical mindset.

Vidocq's success in investigation is not based on logical method, or coherent reasoning. They are based on a good knowledge of the criminal world. Vidocq is a master of disguise and disguise, and therefore he receives a lot of information from unsuspecting people. In his memoirs, the French detective describes methods that are more suitable for criminals than for policemen. But Vidocq's talent and skill were so strong that they were reflected not only in the stories of Poe, but were also captured in the novels of Honore de Balzac, Victor Hugo, Eugene Sue, Charles Dickens, Wilkie Collins, Emile Gaboriau, Maurice Leblanc, G.K. Chesterton and Leslie Charteris. Vidocq became the prototype for many popular criminal heroes - Arsène Lupine, Raffles and the Saint.

Selected bibliography

Notes of Vidocq, head of the Parisian secret police (Mémoires de Vidocq, chef de la police de Sûreté, jusqu'en, 1828)
The thieves (Les voleurs, 1836)
Reflections on prisons, penal servitude and the death penalty (Considerations sommaires sur les prisons, les bagnes et la peine de mort, 1844)
The real secrets of Paris (Les vrais mysteres de Paris, 1844)
Stokers of the North (Les chauffeurs du nord, 1845)