Brothel, brothel, brothel - whatever it is called - this temple of corrupt women has always occupied a significant place in the history of morals. On the pages of the book, based on the testimony of contemporaries, diaries, memories of the poets, writers, artists themselves - C. Baudelaire and P. Verlaine, M. Gorky and A. Chekhov, M. Proust and E. Delacroix, P. Picasso and A. Blok - the author shows how and why bohemia visited these places, where whores of various calibers lived, and how she later talked about it - in canvases and books. Designed for a wide range of readers.