Boris Mikhailovich Fedorov (1794–1875) was a prolific fiction writer, journalist, poet and playwright, author of numerous books for children. Served as secretary in the Ministry of Spiritual Affairs and Public Education; then he was a theater censor, later an assistant to the head of paintings and precious objects in the Imperial Hermitage. In 1833 he was elected a full member of the Imperial Academy. The novel “Prince Kurbsky,” published in this volume, presents another look at the extremely controversial figure of the famous politician and writer. Opinions about Andrei Mikhailovich Kurbsky, as a politician and person, are not only different, but also diametrically opposed. Some see in him a narrow conservative, an extremely limited, suspicious person, a supporter of boyar sedition and an opponent of autocracy. His betrayal is explained by calculation for worldly benefits, and his behavior in Lithuania is considered a manifestation of unbridled autocracy and gross selfishness; even the sincerity and expediency of his efforts to maintain Orthodoxy are suspected. According to others, Kurbsky is an intelligent and educated person, an honest and sincere person who has always stood on the side of good and truth. He is called the first Russian dissident.