Under the pen of the outstanding writer Vasily Makarovich Shukshin (1929–1974), a whole gallery of images of Russian character comes to life. The heroes of his stories are strange, unlucky people, eccentrics, dreamers-sages, alive and natural, sometimes spontaneously rebellious. It is in this protest that the author sees a manifestation of spirituality, but does not idealize his heroes. The book is the most complete collection of stories by V. M. Shukshin - true masterpieces of Russian literature.