The book reveals the mystery of the fate of the creator of the first domestic “silent” weapon, Ivan Grigorievich Mitin. His winding path to achieving his dream is shown. A path where he lost everything without receiving anything in return. The author hopes that the story will bring back from oblivion the name of the man to whom the country owes its primacy in the development of one of the special types of small arms. All persons mentioned in the story are genuine, and the events are real. The book will be of interest not only to those who are interested in the history of the creation of weapons, but also to everyone who wants to learn more about the life of ordinary people who found themselves in the turbulent stream of tragic events in Russia in the first half of the 20th century