The village of Verkhnie Tavolgi is today known as one of the centers of tourism in the Sverdlovsk region. Founded at the end of the 17th century by schismatic hermits who became the founders of the Tavolozh clans and families, this settlement for three centuries was one of the strongholds of the Ural Old Believers. The author, a native Tavolzhian, in his essays talks about the origins and history of the village, a kind of the fate of the inhabitants. His stories trace the difficult paths of the Tavolzhans - the guardians of the “ancient piety”, who built their lives “according to their conscience.” Based on family legends, memories of the author, his relatives and fellow countrymen who were direct participants and witnesses of the events described; archival documents found as a result of lengthy searches, the collection of essays represents not only a unique source for studying the history and culture of the Ural province, but also a literary work written in the living and stylistically very original language of a person “from the earth.” The book is illustrated with rare photographs from the author's archive. The publication is of interest to historians, local historians, researchers of the Old Believers, lovers of the journalistic genre, and everyone interested in the history and culture of the Urals.