To reach the end of the “Great Stone” - a mountain range stretching from Baikal to Kamchatka and Anadyr - was the dream, goal and meaning of life of the brave pioneer heroes. In the letters and petitions of the 17th century, they left their simple disputes, guesses and thoughts about what could be on the edge of the “Stone” and whether there is an end to it. Based on ancient documents, the author tries to understand and convey to the reader what led and beckoned people who went into the unknown, often against the will of their superiors, in the hope of luck, pasture and the mercy of God. And the most amazing thing is that on the supposedly primitive kochas, shitiks, karbazas and plows they followed paths that for more than a century and a half could not be repeated by the most famous sailors of the world on the best ships of that time, with full support and high salaries. “Pioneers” is the third novel. famous Siberian writer Oleg Slobodchikov, presented by the Veche publishing house, connected with the two previous ones, “Nicknamed Penda” and “The Great Tess”, with one theme, the names and fates of the heroes who, in one human life, covered a vast territory from the Irtysh to the Pacific Ocean.< /p>