“The Royal Clown” was the title of one of the unfulfilled books of the remarkable Russian poet Igor Severyanin (1887-1941), who knew the great glory of the “king of poets” and the bitterness of oblivion. This publication reveals unknown pages of his biography. Unique materials are collected here for the first time: Severyanin’s autobiographical notes, about 300 letters from the poet and more than 50 critical articles about his work. Some of the letters, including those to L.N. Andreev, L.N. Afanasyev, V.Ya. Bryusov, K.M. Fofanov, are published for the first time, other letters were published only abroad. A discovery for poetry lovers will be the lifetime criticism of the poet’s work - extensive and varied, never previously reprinted.