“Periodic Table”, as well as the books “Is This a Man?” already published in Russia? (“Text”, 2001) and “Respite” (“Text”, 2002), brought the Italian writer Primo Levi (1919-1987) worldwide fame. A chemist by training, he named the stories after the elements of Mendeleev's Periodic Table. Starting with his Jewish ancestors who settled in Italy in the 16th century, he recalls family traditions, his student years and the terrible days spent in Auschwitz. This is the story of a young man, a native of the Piedmontese Jewish community, whose tragic fate was determined by the monstrous events of the past century.