The article paints a social portrait of the faculty of Moscow universities from the second half of the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century. The research is based on the study of personal sources and of numerous statistical data. The article provides information on the social status and the social, political and scientific activities of Moscow professors, and shows their role in the development of the national science and higher education in post-reform Russia. The influence of Moscow professors on the formation of a new type of personality and of new cultural connections in Russian society at the turn of the centuries is also discussed.