Since ancient times, humanity has used the death penalty as the capital punishment for crimes. Executioners - the people who carried out the sentence - had an ominous reputation in society. In the history of our state, there were dark periods when the work of the executioners was in full swing day and night. The author of the book tells in detail about the history and types of executions in Russia and the Soviet Union, about famous executioners, about seasoned criminals and innocently injured people.