The name of Sergei Vasilyevich Maksimov, writer, ethnographer, researcher of folk life, is well known to experts and lovers of Russian history and culture. The book “Wandering Rus' for Christ’s Sake” (1877) was written by Maximov based on his impressions from a trip to the North-Western region, where he was sent in 1868 by the Imperial Russian Geographical Society: the writer traveled to Smolensk, Mogilev, Vitebsk, Vilna, Grodno, Minsk provinces .In the book, Maksimov turned to such a phenomenon of folk life as wandering - with its various socio-cultural and everyday features. Bogomolets, lovers of Christ, lurkers, proshaks, wanderers, poor brethren, etc. - among them were real professionals in their field, experts in customs, beliefs, omens, performers of spiritual poems and epics. Wandering appears not only as a way of life, but also as a spiritual search for an Orthodox person, for whom value and meaning are inherent in the very idea of the path.