In this work, the author, having gone into the shadows, completely gives way to his character, the “prominent underground poet” Vivian Vivianov. He talks about himself, his life path, his famous writer friends, among whom the reader will find Solzhenitsyn, Brodsky, and Dovlatov. Also, a prominent underground poet shares his thoughts about Russian history, various historical figures, about Soviet and current life that has sunk into eternity, reflects on a wide variety of topics: is it worth digging a hole for someone else, what is a sharp nail for, what is better - a head in the bushes or a chest in crosses? Creating his hero, A. Kurchatkin parodies mediocre poetry, unsubstantiated historical research, pseudo-deep essays and articles that emphasize the author’s own meaning of memoirs. Kozma Prutkov is the closest and only analogy to the hero of A. Kurchatkin. Like Kozma Prutkov, Vivian Vivanov, not being too literaryly gifted, nevertheless claims the highest place in the literary hierarchy and is dissatisfied with the fact that he was not able to take it. At the same time, he is kind by nature and humanly attractive. Of course, he is an amazing mess. And sometimes he’s stupid, sometimes he’s stupid. But at the same time suddenly wise and poignant - as in this entry, essentially - free verse: All adults were certainly children. But not all adults become old people. However, some remain children until old age. And some in old age fall into childhood. But they are already no one carries them in their arms or kisses their ass. And those who remain children until old age are usually called idiots. They do not live to old age due to illnesses and accidents. If it is true that a person lives many times, how fair is it? that, having been born, he does not remember his past life! This is him, Vivian Vavianov, a prominent underground poet.