Book by authoritative historian of Russian cinema I.N. Grashchenkova is the first study of that direction of cinema of the 20s, which remained in the shadow of the historical and revolutionary masterpieces that created the myth of the October Revolution of 1917. And today it is the “second cinema” about life, morals, personal relationships, and everyday life of the first post-revolutionary decade that reveals the true face of the Revolution as a true anthropological catastrophe. Documentary, feature, and animated films of the 20s, the fate of filmmakers, forgotten names and faces, the author's reflections on man and era - the content of this book. The text is illustrated with rare photographs (including the only ones that have survived) from the collections of the State Film Fund of the Russian Federation, the Library of Cinematography them. S. Eisenstein, Cinema Museum, Art Library, from family archives. The book is addressed to both specialists and readers interested in the art and culture of the fateful era of Russian history.