My book is not a history of literature. Although it is devoted to all Russian literature, almost exclusively 19th century literature serves as material for it. The enormous independent ideological and artistic value of all previous domestic literary development does not need evidence. However, the Russian literary genius reached its peak in the 19th century. And my task is primarily to reveal the nature of the Russian literary genius. I touch Old Russian literature within minimal limits to understand the general movement of the Russian literary process. And I am talking about this from a certain angle of view, not claiming to be the most analysis of monuments. There is no folklore in my book, because folklore and literature are a special topic. Literature of the XVIII century - literature of the transition period. We are talking about it in summary form - as an approach to the great literature of the next century.