The new book by Naum Sindalovsky, an expert on St. Petersburg urban folklore, is not like the author’s other works. It, in addition to legends and anecdotes relating to certain characters, contains an attempt to understand the historical process, the origins of anti-Semitism, Russian and not only, the place of the Jewish nation in the life of our country. The author managed to approach the material presented very delicately, tactfully and balancedly. The book turned out to be, on the one hand, fascinating, and on the other hand, educational and stimulating to think about the history of the country, about the fate of people in different eras, about enduring human values. The author appears before us, readers, from a hitherto unknown side. He managed to introduce into his presentation a certain benevolently ironic tone, sometimes with involuntary notes of sadness, so characteristic of Jewish culture. Tears can be heard through the laughter and vice versa. The form fully matches the content. This is probably the secret of the book’s amazing appeal.