The Encyclopedic Dictionary is the first reference publication devoted to the biography and work of the writer. Saltykov's life and work are presented in a broad sociocultural context. The dictionary articles touch on a wide range of phenomena in the socio-political and cultural life of Russia and other countries (reforms of the 1860s, the Russian-Turkish War, the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1871, the policies of Russia and the West towards Eastern countries, literary public polemics of the 1860s, book publishing and magazine politics, changes in literary and aesthetic trends, musical and theatrical life of the 1840s-1880s, etc.). Such a large-scale approach allows us to see Saltykov as a writer, thinker, public figure, high-ranking official, and finally, as a private person and clearly demonstrates the diversity of his connections with the era, corrects established interpretations of ideological positions, expands and clarifies commentary on texts. The dictionary includes the names of not only those people with whom Saltykov communicated directly, but also many other contemporaries who came to the attention of the writer and mentioned in his artistic, journalistic and epistolary texts (Russian and foreign political figures, military leaders, cultural figures, etc.). d.). The personalities section is supplemented by the Chronicle of the writer’s life and work. The dictionary allows you to succinctly and succinctly show the role and significance of M. E. Saltykov in the history of Russian culture. The authors consider the work on it as one of the important components in preparation for the 200th anniversary of the writer’s birth. The book is addressed to specialists in the history of literature, humanists working in other fields, and to everyone interested in the history of Russian culture.