The history of Russia, told through the fates of the most prominent figures of the Russian pantheon. After all, the most interesting thing in history is the people who made it. Boris Akunin, the author of the multi-volume “History of the Russian State,” focuses on those exceptional individuals who, due to circumstances and human qualities, seem to emit a radiance that has not faded in our times. “Illumination” history” is a literary and historical experiment. Each volume will consist of both historical essays and fictional short stories. “Bright People of Ancient Rus'” are twelve essays and twelve short stories about twelve people, without whom today’s Russia would be somewhat different, and in some cases even completely different. The publishing design is preserved in PDF A4 format.