Melnikov Pavel Ivanovich (25.10 (6.11) .1818, Nizhny Novgorod - 1 (13) .2.1883, ibid.) - an outstanding fiction ethnographer, known under the pseudonym Andrei Pechersky. The collected works included novels: "In the Forests" - the first part of the dilogy telling about the life of the Old Believer population of the Volga region, the life of merchants and schismatic hermitages. "On the Mountains" is a completely independent work, but at the same time it is a continuation of the epic "In the Forests." The work recreates the life of the Old Believer merchants of the Volga region, life, customs and customs of the local population. Deep penetration into the essence of the processes that took place in the Old Believer and merchant environment, the talent of a psychologist, writer and master of words brought fame and great reader interest to the novels "In the Forests" and "On the Mountains." Also included in the eight-volume story and stories.