The first publication in Russia dedicated to the life and work of one of the most controversial figures in European life in the 1780- 1810s. A prose writer and poet, journalist and editor, politician and historian, Kotzebue went down in history as the author of more than 200 plays that were a resounding success and survived their creator for a long time. The book restored Kotzebue's biography, including his relationship with Catherine II and Paul I.