The collection of selected works of the famous Russian historian V.O. Klyuchevsky includes lectures and articles on prominent figures of the past - Sergius of Radonezh, Ivan the Terrible, Peter I, S. M. Soloviev and others. For more than a century, this name has its own history. During the life of the scientist, it was widely known and enjoyed great popularity. In the 1920-1940s. in general criticism of the entire cultural and scientific heritage left to us, it was assessed very differently, often ambivalently, but for all critics its scientific significance was obvious.