When we hear the name Vladimir Nabokov, we immediately think of the famous writer. This is fair, but the same name was borne by the writer’s father, who was a truly significant, weighty and very famous person in his time. That is why for the first twenty years of his writing, Vladimir Vladimirovich was published under the pseudonym Sirin, so that he would not be confused with his father. A lot of information about Nabokov the elder has been preserved, there are studies devoted to him, but there are still many dark spots, ambiguities, and inaccuracies. These gaps are filled by the first complete biography of Vladimir Dmitrievich Nabokov, written by the Berlin writer Grigory Arosev. In a lively and fascinating book, the author answers many questions about Nabokov himself, his views, his family and children - including his relationship with his eldest son, who later glorifying the family name throughout the world.