The books in the “Unofficial History of Russia” series are unlike ordinary historical chronicles. The author introduced a wide variety of materials into the fabric of the narrative: documents, letters, legends, sermons, proverbs and sayings, messages from chronicles and memories of participants in events, as well as fragments from the works of outstanding Russian and foreign historians (their names are italicized in the text). The history of the country appears here not as a list of facts, but as complex relationships between historical figures, whose actions, characters, and intrigues had a direct impact on the development of the situation, on the course of what was happening in the country. The series consists of 14 books and covers events from ancient times to 1917. The book “The Age of Paul I” talks about the events of the late 18th century, when, after the death of Catherine the Great, her son Paul ascended the throne, talks about the years of his reign, and the circumstances his death. The reader will find in the book many interesting sketches about famous people of that time, about the life of Russian society.