The new book by Marietta Chudakova - a member of the European Academy, a famous literary critic, literary historian, biographer of Mikhail Bulgakov, author of fascinating novels for schoolchildren - is the result of several coincidences. The scientist’s professional interest in the history of the Fatherland. The civic temperament of a public figure, a member of the Presidential Council under B. N. Yeltsin. And the desire of the teacher to educate independently thinking, educated, democratically minded citizens, ready for active participation in the life of society. Achieving the completeness of historical truth, Chudakova exposes the ideological myths created by Soviet propaganda, introduces the reader to little-known, but extremely important facts of life in Russia between two historical upheavals - the era of great reforms and a series of revolutions and coups. She is merciless not only to outright lies, but also to crafty half-truths and shameful silences about the tragic moments of the country’s biography. “Stories about Russia”, sincere, emotional, demonstrative, can serve as a good vaccination for children against a very adult disease - loss of historical memory.