The famous autobiographical trilogy of Maxim Gorky is one of the treasures of Russian literature. Three plot-related stories: “Childhood”, “In People” and “My Universities” - talk about the difficulties of starting an independent life as a writer, the formation of his character and worldview. Numerous trials, the constant struggle for existence, described in the book, show how difficult it is for ordinary people to live in Rus', from what and under what conditions the moral image of the Russian person gradually took shape. This publication is dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the writer’s birth and opens a new series “The Volga Novel”.