Vyacheslav Aleksandrovich Kalikinsky is a journalist and prose writer, author of historical novels, member of the Russian Writers' Union. The author is known for his series of books “Ahasfer” - five fascinating retro-espionage detective stories dedicated to the work of counterintelligence in Russia in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This time we want to present another great work of the author, one of his best books, dedicated to the fate of a real historical figure - Karl Landsberg - a brilliant officer who stumbled and became a criminal, but ultimately, through redemption and hardship, brought a lot of benefit to our country. There is a version that it was Landsberg who was the prototype of the hero of Dostoevsky’s famous novel “Crime and Punishment” Rodion Raskolnikov, although their biographies, of course, differ significantly. He shone in the high society of St. Petersburg. He was predicted to have a rapid career, right up to the ministerial one. He fell down the stairs without even reaching the middle. The sparkling world disappeared behind the blank prison walls. Following the verdict of society, Landsberg was also sentenced by the criminal world - those who today are called thieves in law. Read the first book of history. Second edition, corrected and expanded