The new book by the famous literary critic N. A. Bogomolov, the author of numerous studies on the history of Russian literature, includes works from different years. The book consists of three sections. The first examines some general problems in the study of Russian literature of the late 19th and early 20th centuries; it also includes memories of M. L. Gasparov and V. N. Toporov and an article about the scientific work of Z. G. Mints. The second, central section contains materials on the history of Russian symbolism and articles dedicated to its figures, both extremely famous (V. Ya. Bryusov, K. D. Balmont, F. Sologub) and those remaining in the shadows (Yu. K. Baltrushaitis , M. N. Semenov, circle of the Grif publishing house). The third contains works on post-symbolism and the avant-garde with projections on the historical reality of the 1950s–1960s.