Natalia Ilishkina was born and raised in the Volga region. She graduated from Samara State University, a philologist-Germanist. “Ulan Dalai” is a debut novel based on archival materials, stories of witnesses of the time and their descendants. “Before us is the story of the Kalmyks, who faithfully served the “White Tsar” for four long centuries, a story of things that have come true and unfulfilled hopes, military exploits and difficult ordeals during the years of deportation. Through the eyes of three generations of one family - grandfather, son and grandson - the author sees the Soviet past. But only one of them, having regained his sight towards the end of his life, comes to an exhaustive awareness of its essence” (Elena Chizhova).