The book includes memoirs of an outstanding figure of Russian culture, a famous traveler, who simply, vividly and captivatingly spoke about how he managed to actually be the first European to penetrate into the interior of the Tien Shan country, create a diagram of the Tien Shan ridges hitherto unknown to Europeans, and explore the lake Issyk-Kul, discover the Syr Darya River, see and study the flora and fauna of Western, Middle, Central and North-East Asia. The travels of 1856–1857 became a kind of significant milestone in the history of the study of Central Asia, laying the foundations for subsequent expeditions of N. M. Przhevalsky, V. I. Roborovsky, G. N. Potanin and many others to this part of the earth.

Contents: Conclusion of the Paris Peace. – My trip to the village and return. – First events of Alexander II – The support provided to my journey by the Geographical Society. – Transfer Nizhny – Kazan – Kungur – Ural and Yekaterinburg. – West Siberian Lowland. – Siberian riding and some features of the local population. – Ishim steppe. – Irtysh and Omsk. - Governor General Gasfort. – Potanin and Valikhanov. – Barabinskaya steppe and Kainsk. – Crossing the Ob in Berdskoye. - Barnaul. – Travel to Altai. – Kolyvan Lake. - Zmeinogorsk. – The rivers Uba and Ulba and the squirrels surrounding them. – Riddersk and Ivanovo Belok. – The way to Semipalatinsk

Semipalatinsk. – Meeting with F. M. Dostoevsky. - The path to the south. -Ayaguz. - Lepsinsky outpost. – Semirechensky Alatau. - Arasan. -Digged. - Colonel Abakumov. - Cholokazaks. – Alaman Ridge. - Ili River. – Fortification Vernoe. - Trans-Ili Alatau. – View of Tien Shan. – Lake Issyk-Kul. - Chu River. – Buam Gorge. - Karakirghiz. – Return to Vernoe. – Trip to Gulja. – Return through Kopal to Semipalatinsk. – Second meeting with F. M. Dostoevsky. – Return to Barnaul

My stay in Barnaul in the winter of 1856/57 and F. M. Dostoevsky’s visit to me. – My trip to Omsk and negotiations with G.I. Gasfort. – Arrival in Semipalatinsk and meeting with Dostoevsky and the artist Kosharov. – Transfer through Kopal and the Priiliyskaya plain to Vernoye. - Trans-Ili region. – Secondary trip to Tien Shan. – Political situation of the Issyk-Kul basin. -Departure. – Lake Dzhasyl-kul. – The court of biys and my participation in it. – Hospitality of Sultan Ali and his son Ables. - Sultan Tezek. - Merke. – Arrival to Sultan Burambai and assistance, us to him rendered

My performance in 1857 with a Cossack detachment deep into the Tien Shan. – Santash Pass. - Captives of the goddess. – Ak-su River. – Meeting with the Sarybagish people near the Karakol River. – Zaukinsky mountain pass to the upper reaches of Naryn. - Dead battlefield. - Caves. – Issyk-Kul Bay Kyzyl-su and the shores of this lake – Tyup River – Sources of Naryn. - Ancient Wusun. - Alpine meadows. – Kungey and Terskey Alatau. -Meeting with the Sarybagish baranta. - Tabulgatinsky pass. -Trip to the upper reaches of the Kok-Dzhar and Sary-Dzhas rivers. - Duana. – Khan Tengri and its glaciers. - Tekes River. – My mediation between Burambai and Umbet-Ali and four captives. – News of the death of Adolf Schlagintveit in Kashgar. – A trip to Musart and an expedition to the rescue of Tezek. - Kurmentinsky pass. – Chilik and Turgen rivers. -Return to Vernoe. – Return trip. - Ili Plain. – A trip to Tezek. - Lying down. – Lake Ala-kul. - Tarbagatai. – Return to Semipalatinsk. - Barnaul. - Omsk. – Return to St. Petersburg