Alexander Vasilyevich Sukhovo-Kobylin was, it seemed, a pampering of fate: a noble and rich master, a stately handsome man, a magnificent rider, a favorite of women, a successful entrepreneur, playwright, the first comedy "Krechinsky's Wedding" shocked the capital's theater world. But all three plays of Sukhovo-Kobylin made their way to the stage through censorship obstacles, both foreign wives died in his arms shortly after the wedding, enterprises fell into decay, literary and philosophical works turned to ashes. The criminal case on the murder of his French mistress, of which he was accused, was especially influenced by his life and work, unprecedented in complexity and scale.