Sergei Vasilyevich Maksimov (1831-1901) is an outstanding Russian ethnographer, folklorist and writer who devoted his life to studying the culture of the Russian people and was called by his contemporaries the “patriarch of folk studies.” An enthusiastic and observant researcher of the way of life, morals, customs and beliefs of various segments of the population of Russia in the 19th century, Maksimov made many trips to various regions of the country. The result of his research was the pioneering works “A Year in the North”, “Stories from the History of the Old Believers”, “In the East”, “Siberia and Hard Labor”, “Kul of Bread and Its Adventures”, “Wandering Rus' for Christ’s Sake”, etc. In this edition combines such well-known works by S. V. Maksimov as “The Unclean, Unknown and the Power of the Cross” (1903), “Winged Words” (1890) and chapters from the book “Forest Wilderness” (1871). They are addressed to the widest audience and introduce readers to the traditions and beliefs of the Russian people, their holidays and rituals, their original living and figurative language, and their way of life. These are books for all times: to this day they remain not only the most valuable source of ethnographic research (both in terms of the coverage of material and the accuracy of descriptions), but also fascinating reading for anyone interested in the history of Russia. The publishing layout of the book is preserved in PDF A4 format.