This is a book dedicated to the defense of the Port Arthur fortress during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905. The author was able to convincingly demonstrate how departmental hostility between Russian ground units and sailors turned out to be stronger than the need to confront the enemy together. Based on materials from the verbatim report of the Port Arthur trial and other sources, the prevailing opinion in scientific and popular literature about the alleged betrayal among the highest ground commanders of the Russian garrison is refuted. The book will be of interest to both specialists and a wide range of readers interested in Russian military history. The quotation used in the title of the book belongs to Dr. V.V. Korsakov, an employee of the Russian diplomatic mission in Beijing (see: V.V. Korsakov. Strange days. A diary chronicle of Russian life in China during the Russo-Japanese War. M., 1912. P. 157).