The great dream, which became the meaning of life, led Heinrich Schliemann, a German merchant, traveler and amateur archaeologist famous for his extraordinary discoveries, along a long and roundabout path to the legendary Ilion. Having become familiar with the detailed report on the excavations carried out by Schliemann in the thickness of the hill of Hisarlik, Mycenae and Tiryns, not only archaeological specialists, but also everyone interested in history will be able to appreciate the contribution to world science of the famous enthusiast, generally recognized “dilettante” and world-famous researcher of ancient Greek antiquities, who devoted more than ten years of searching and excavating the “city of Priam”. The book is especially valuable due to its extensive illustrative material and the autobiography of the author, who created a legend about himself. This work has been translated into Russian for the first time, which makes this publication unique.