The novel “Azef” is valuable because this book is prophetic: Russian terrorism of the 1900s is the beginning of the path to those “Ten Days that Shook the World,” and after which the world never came to its senses. It is a romance document with historical characters, some of whom were still alive when the book was published. It may be said that books of this kind are still too close to the events depicted so as not to become ephemeral, that the last war gave birth to books like “Stalingrad” by Plivier, “Caput” by Malaparte, which are unlikely to be re-read, and that this could be the oblivion of the novel "Azef" is explained and justified. Well, yes! I know all this well. This is the fate of many literary testimonies. But "Azef" is not only a documentary novel, it is also a work of art and perfect and very personal art.