Vladimir Solovyov knew Joseph Brodsky closely from Leningrad times. This volume, the result of half a century of memoir-research work, when the author wrote dozens of articles, essays and books about Brodsky, reveals the piercingly painful tuning fork of his life and fate. Not a triumph, but a tragedy that reached a crescendo in poetry. This anniversary-anti-anniversary book - dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the great tragic poet of our era - provides a comprehensive portrait of Brodsky and at the same time the key to the mysteries and secrets of his work. Although the name of one of its author is on the cover and title, it is unthinkable without Elena Klepikova - at all stages creation of the book, and not just in the chapters personally written by her. Like the previous book about Dovlatov, this one about Brodsky was greatly contributed by my friend, a wonderful photographer and artist Natasha Sharymova. The art editor of this book in New York was the talented photographer Arkady Bogatyrev, whose photographs and collages became its decoration. I am also grateful for assistance and support at different stages of work to Bella Bilibina, Sergei Braverman, Sergei Vinnik, Sasha Grant, Lena Dovlatova, Evgeniy Yevtushenko, Vladimir Kartsev, Gennady Katsov, Ilya Levkov, Masha Savushkina, Yuri Sereda, Eugene (Evgeniy) Solovyov, Mikhail Freidlin, Naum Tselesin , Isa Shapiro, Natasha Shapiro, Mikhail and Sarah Shemyakin, as well as my constant assistants in collecting information X, Y & Z, who prefer to remain in the shadows - nameless.