Book of Peter Manteuffel (1768-1842) - the first significant work of art in Estonian. "Leisure in the light of a ray" (1838) draws the life of Estonian peasants and makes extensive use of folklore sources, being a kind of "folk book." Translated into Russian for the first time. An extensive article accompanying the publication analyzes in detail the development of Estonian writing, its first monuments and the place of Manteuffel's books among them.