Ivan Fedorovich Nazhivin (1874–1940) is one of the most interesting writers of the first half of the 20th century. Starting with “Tolstoyism,” Nazhivin experienced “freedom, equality and brotherhood” firsthand, tasted the fruits of the storm in which he took part, saw the “truth” of the whites and the reds, and in exile he created a number of historical novels, trying to comprehend the origins what he saw with his own eyes. The novel “The Flag of the Banners” is dedicated to a very complex and ambiguous period in the history of Rus' - the events of the 10th century. After the death of Svyatoslav, the last “pagan” prince, on the Dnieper rapids, Rus' was engulfed in the flames of civil strife - the sons of the great father divided the inheritance, but not for the good of the country, but for their own interests. And only the one who would be the first to find the right path to the future could win in this bloody mess!..