The memoirs of the super-popular playwright of his era, August Kotzebue (1761–1819), are dedicated to a very unusual event in his biography - exile to Siberia by order of Emperor Paul. The author describes in detail and very vividly all the events associated with this unfortunate episode of his adventurous biography, the people he had to meet along the route and in Tobolsk, where he served his exile, the nature of the region, and the customs of the local residents. The second part of the book is devoted to Kotzebue's return from exile and his subsequent rise thanks to the favors of the emperor. The book is written very excitingly and is intended for a wide range of readers.