The author of the book is a Russian chemist and mineralogist, professor Vasily Mikhailovich Severgin (1765-1826). His "Notes of a trip to the western provinces of the Russian state" contain mineralogical, economic and other information collected by them. The story begins with a description of Severgin's passage through the St. Petersburg province. The author, characteristic of the beginning of the 19th century, speaks of the beauty of these places, "the elegance and pleasantness of this road," mentions the magnificent castles and monasteries that he met. But Vasily Mikhailovich draws the main attention to subjects related to the field of natural sciences, mainly mineralogy. Speaking of minerals, he also talks about the field of their application, giving specific examples.