Anthology allows the reader to trace how, starting from the first publications about the Siberian "elder" (i.e., from the 1910s), the myth of the omnipotent "Friend of the Kings" gradually developed, how this myth was overgrown with details, often of fantastic properties, and, finally, how this myth turned out to be a breeding ground for creating a literary image that replaced the real Gr. Rasputin. The book also presents materials from scientists who sought to paint a psychological portrait of the "old man."