Archaeography is the science of searching, studying and publishing historical documents. The word “archaeography” hides fascinating, almost detective stories about finding information about the distant or recent past, allowing us to learn and understand this past. The author of the book, R. G. Pikhoy, had to search and study documents on the history of pre-Mongol Rus' - monuments of ancient Russian penitential law, for ten years led the Ural archaeographic expedition, which collected about 6 thousand ancient Russian handwritten and early printed books, and then - from 1990 . until the beginning of 1996, to lead archival affairs in the country, to carry out what was called in science the “archival revolution”. Another theme that runs through the entire book is the personal history of the formation and activities of a historian-archaeographer against the background of the history of Russia. The book is intended for everyone interested in the history of Russia and archaeography.