We present to your attention the memoir book of the largest Russian symbolist writer, written in Berlin in 1922-1923, published for the first time based on archival primary sources in the full volume of the preserved text. Andrei Bely unfolds a colorful and broad panorama of the literary, artistic and intellectual life of Russia in the pre-war years, outlines vivid portraits of many remarkable representatives of this era, recreated in the author’s emphatically individual perception. The writer’s focus is on his relationship with A. Blok, D. S. Merezhkovsky and Z. N. Gippius, V. Bryusov, Vyach. Ivanov, E.K. Medtner, M.O. Gershenzon, N.A. Berdyaev and others. “Berlin” “Beginning of the Century” reflects a more reliable author’s view of the experience than Andrei Bely’s later memoir trilogy, which was written with an eye to ideological demands Soviet times. The text of the “Berlin” edition of the book of memoirs “The Beginning of the Century” is a contamination of chapters 4, 5, 8-10 translated into typescript (with inconsistent and selective editing by the author) with the printed text of chapters 6 and 7 “Memories of Blok” (Berlin: Helikon, 1922).

CONTENTS: (Volume II) CHAPTER FOUR Summary of Shakhmatov 5 Petersburg. After Shakhmatov 18 Poems about a Beautiful Lady 21 In Moscow circles 52 January 69 Confusion 73 Petersburg 79 A. A. Blok and D. S. Merezhkovsky 88In the barracks 99CHAPTER FIVE. 1905Moscow in 1905 121Strada 137October days 168Night Violet 179At the pass 211 (Memories of Blok)CHAPTER SIX. “YOU WENT TO THE FIELDS WITHOUT RETURN” Showcase 222 “Unexpected Joy” 228 The third - the month above - twisted his mouth 232 Too late! 242 Decisive conversation 246 Fever 255 Life abroad 270 Samples of the second volume of poems 275 “Snow Mask” 285 Standing first before the threshold 297 And war and fire ahead 303 (Memories of Blok) CHAPTER SEVEN. MEETING AND COOLING Controversy with St. Petersburg 308 Reconciliation 320 Meeting in Kyiv 327 Petersburg Again 336 (Volume III) CHAPTER EIGHT Arbat 346 November impressions of Moscow 383 Emilius Karlovich Medtner 406 “House of Song” 422 Moscow decadents 446 Kul tourtragers 468Central station 484M. O. Gershenzon 492 Rachinsky, Bulgakov 499 Morozova 518 A sad spring 529 CHAPTER NINE The tragedy of sobriety! 535Fragments of worlds 544At the pass 548Mintslova 563Mintslova again 584Baring its teeth! 596 "Tower" 619 CHAPTER TEN. AT THE SECOND THRESHOLDTurn to the meeting 637The case with Mintslova 639Meeting with Blok 645Blok in Moscow 651Time of disappointments 657“Love and Russia” in the third volume at Blok 681Doubles 701Pre-departure days 728Belgium 737Time of transition 753Russian Symbolists 758In Steiner 779 Basel - Fitznau - Stuttgart - Berlin 788APPENDICESa. V. Lavrov. Memoirs of Andrei Bely, a Berlin emigrant 803 Substantiation of the text (compiled by A. V. Lavrov) 835 Notes (compiled by A. V. Lavrov) 840 Conventional abbreviations 1006 List of illustrations 1008 Annotated index of names 1010