Shortly before his death, Nikolai Gumilyov wrote: “I often think about my old age, / About wisdom and peace...” The poet was killed at the age of 35... Historians are still arguing about the real reasons and circumstances of his death - whether he participated in the “counter-revolutionary conspiracy”, did this conspiracy exist at all or simply “the situation was too thick, and Gumilyov could not help but fall into it.” One thing is certain - he met death so courageously and with dignity that even the executioners admired his courage: “This Gumilyov of yours... To us Bolsheviks, this is funny. But, you know, he died in style. He smiled, finished his cigarette... Fanfare, of course. But even the guys from the special department were impressed. Empty youth, but still a strong guy. Few people die like this...” This “poetic investigation” analyzes in detail all versions of the arrest, investigation and execution of the poet, restoring the true circumstances of the tragedy and unraveling one of the main mysteries of Russian literature of the 20th century.