The book of the famous Russian writer-marine painter V. Shigin is devoted to the events associated with the death of the Kursk nuclear submarine missile cruiser. Uniqueness of information, documentary and truthfulness - this is what distinguishes V. Shigin's book from the vast majority of publications on this topic. The book is based on documents from the General Staff and the Department of Search and Rescue Operations of the Navy. Readers will be able to experience the minute-by-minute timeline of the rescue operation in August and October 2000 for the first time. It is also important that, as a career officer of the Navy, the author himself took part in providing diving work. In addition, his personal meetings with relatives and friends of the crew members made it possible to create vivid, memorable essays about the life and service of the dead submariners.