This book is dedicated to the golden age of Russian classical music, which already in the debut of its history gave the world eternal masterpieces. Modest Mussorgsky, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Alexander Borodin, Caesar Cui, Miliy Balakirev – why were they called the "mighty bunch"? The fate of these creators is at the center of Andrey Kryukov's narrative. What did they want to express with their music? How did they learn from Mikhail Glinka, and how did they argue with Pyotr Tchaikovsky? What tasks were set for Russian art? This is the story of a classic book by an outstanding historian and art critic, colorfully recreating the atmosphere of the Russian 19th century, a time of artistic search and discovery. The book is intended for everyone who is interested in the history of Russian art, for everyone who loves music.