Collective work about the novel by N. G. Chernyshevsky "What to do?" adjoins a series of studies devoted to the "life in time" of masterpieces of Russian classical literature ("Russian literature in historical and functional lighting," 1979; "Literary works in the movement of eras," 1979; "The Time and Fate of Russian Writers," 1981). Extensive material considers the issue of a modern reading of the famous book, which was highly appreciated by V.I. Lenin.