Vasily Alekseevich Maklakov (1869-1957) is known as a public and political figure of the late XIX - early XX centuries, a lawyer, a participant in the processes that examined the cases of M. M. Beilis and N. E. Bauman, assistant F. N. Plevako, leader of the right wing of the Constitutional Democratic Party and cadet faction II, III and IV State Duma. In exile, his talent as a memoirist was revealed in full force: Maklakov published about three dozen articles and books devoted to memoirs and reflections on pre-revolutionary Russia, its daily, social and political life. His biography and views are well studied, but the most ambitious memoirs of Maklakov have not yet been reprinted in Russia. In this book, written at the intersection of autobiography, journalism and historical research, he masterfully describes the figures and events of the past. Here the author appears not only as a writer and a talented storyteller, but also as a historian capable of subtle and deep analysis.