An entire era in the history of the Soviet state is associated with the name of Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev. Society, tired of N. S. Khrushchev’s voluntarism, greeted his rise to power with hope. The new leader had extensive experience, participated in the Great Patriotic War, and was part of the country's leadership under Stalin. Indeed, under Brezhnev, the defense power and authority of the USSR ensured stability and balance of power in the world and became an obstacle to the US path to geopolitical dominance. Soviet citizens felt confident in the future. But at the same time, in the last years of Brezhnev’s life, a style of governing the country was established in which fatal mistakes and miscalculations became possible. What is the fault, what is the misfortune of this man, who left behind a load of problems that his heirs were unable to solve? The famous writer and historian Leonid Mlechin tries to answer these questions. The book is illustrated with black and white photographs.