Ivan Stepanovich Zhirkevich - officer of the guards artillery of the era of the Napoleonic wars, official of the artillery department (1824–1829), governor of Simbirsk (1835–1836), and then Vitebsk (1836–1838) provinces. He witnessed and directly participated in many important events of that time. The main part of the memoirs is devoted to the events of the era of the Napoleonic wars. No less interesting are the author’s memoirs as an official. A straightforward character and strong principles inspire respect and trust in the memoirist’s personality. His tenacious memory, rich life experience, desire for truthfulness in the description of the military events of the Alexander era and the everyday life of the provincial nobility and bureaucracy during the reign of Nicholas I make the “Notes” a valuable historical source. The publication is equipped with detailed comments.