From the moment of its first publication, the memoirs of V. P. Kataev caused fierce controversy, which has not subsided to this day and which the authors of the book are trying to resolve within the framework of academic commentary. M. A. Kotova and O. A. Lekmanov are not limited to explaining the “dark” episodes of Kataev’s novel “My Diamond Crown”; they carefully recreate the literary and everyday context of the era, so the Commentary can also be considered as a thorough introduction to the history of Soviet literature of 1920–1930 -s. Unraveling the intricacies of the novel, the authors draw on many archival, newspaper and little-known memoir sources.