Lev Gursky, a famous author of political thrillers, returned to his native Saratov and discovered that local culture is in charge of a police general, local writers have forgotten how to read, local philosophers treat hemorrhoids with suggestion, local historians are proud of ostriches, and the local swamp is declared the best in the world. Here Pushkin is confused with Lenin, here State Security is equated with the Fatherland, here the man who denounced Vysotsky is made an honorary citizen, and the man who killed Tvardovsky is celebrated as a great fellow countryman... Do you think Lev Gursky is exaggerating and inflaming passions? Oh if only! In his literary feuilletons, which are included in this collection, nothing was invented at all, but, unfortunately, everything is true.