Pavel Petrovich Svinin (1788–1839) was one of the most versatile representatives of his time: writer, historian, artist, editor and publisher of the journal Otechestvennye zapiski. While on diplomatic work, he visited many countries of the world and traveled a lot around Russia. Svinin chose the unique role of an artist-writer: he described the areas where he traveled not only with a pen, but also sketched them, calling his trips “scenic travels.” Svinin’s ethnographic essays were published after his death, under the title “Pictures of Russia and the life of its diverse peoples.” Among the writer’s other significant works, “Sights of St. Petersburg and its environs” should be highlighted. In addition, Svinin was a passionate collector: he enthusiastically collected antiques and cultural monuments. He has compiled a rich museum of paintings, portraits, coins, medals, manuscripts and books (“Russian Museum”). In Svinin’s artistic works, historical reality is presented in the form of a fascinating narrative, but at the same time the author pays a lot of attention to genuine historical details. The novel “Ermak, or the Conquest of Siberia,” published in this volume, takes the reader to the time of Ivan the Terrible, when Russia was actively expanding its borders, annexing new lands.