Vernadskaya Maria Nikolaevna: the first female political economist in Russia

The article shows that Maria Nikolaevna Vernadskaya, who lived less than 29 years, but was the first among Russian educated women to join the development and popularization of ideas of political economy in the mid-19th century, secured for herself the title of «the first female political economist in Russia». The factors that contributed to M.N. Vernadskaya's inclusion in political economy research are revealed, including her marriage to the famous Russian political economist I.V. Vernadsky. The main ideas of Russian political economists about «moral capital» and «political economy as a moral science» that M.N. Vernadskaya used when writing her works are presented. The articles by M.N. Vernadskaya popularizing political economy are analyzed, in which she substantiates the ideas of the division of labor as a condition for any production and knowledge as the basis for «truly national welfare». In publications on the social status of women, M.N. Vernadskaya acts as a fighter for gender equality of women and men. In solving the problem of women's labor, M.N. Vernadskaya asserts that «in mental terms, men and women are equal». In conclusion, attention is drawn to the fact that M.N. Vernadskaya not only awakened a love for economic science in Russian women, but also instilled confidence in their high theoretical abilities. The highest role of the science of political economy in understanding the essence, patterns and prospects for the development of society is also emphasized.