Lev Ilyich Mechnikov (1838–1888), having left his homeland forever at the age of 20, showed his brilliant talents in various fields, living mainly in Italy and Switzerland, traveling around the world - as a publicist, writer, geographer, sociologist, ethnographer, linguist, artist, political and public figure. Member of the movement G. Garibaldi, follower of M. A. Bakunin, ally of J.-E. Reclus, conspirator and scientist, he left valuable scientific works and memoirs; his main work, published posthumously, “Civilization and the Great Historical Rivers,” brought him fame as the “father of Russian geopolitics.” The new book for the first time collects all the fictional prose of L. I. Mechnikov.