Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (1804–1857) is one of the key figures in music and a true hero of Russian culture. The incredible fame of the composer during his lifetime contributed to the emergence of numerous myths and speculations around him. The presented biography recreates the real, sometimes contradictory personality of Glinka. For the first time, it is shown how his worldview and creativity were influenced by belonging to the Russian nobility and European high society. The composer's life is examined in a broad historical context, supplemented by stories about travel, medicine, fashion, family law, the publishing process, home music playing, etc. Glinka's life is connected with the reign of three emperors - Alexander I, Nicholas I, Alexander II - and the national-patriotic component their policies, in particular with the ideology of the “official nationality” within the Russian Empire. The author of the biography - Ekaterina Lobankova (Klyuchnikova), candidate of art history, specialist in the history of Russian music - relies on modern research on the history of culture and art, including foreign ones, and offers her interpretation of historical facts and evidence of time.