In 1942-1944, shortly after moving to the United States, Vladimir Nabokov wrote a book about Nikolai Gogol, turning the biography of the genius into a very personal and bold statement about the true and false in art. Nabokov's famous passages explaining to the American reader the meaning of the word "vulgarity" and ridiculing the conventions of advertising were written for this book and still have not lost their poignancy. Despite various deviations from the requirements of the biographical genre, "Nikolai Gogol" covers the entire creative history of the writer, stops at all the turns of his unusual life path and is provided with a detailed "Chronology" and an index. Permeating each page of this book with his own writing experience, Nabokov makes a conscientious attempt in his own way to solve the riddle of Gogol and explain the nature of his actions and intentions. The full text of Nikolai Gogol is being published in Russia for the first time. In addition to the comments of the editor and compiler A. Babikov, this edition contains additional materials — letters and reviews from 1943-1944, highlighting the perception of this book by Russian immigrants in America. . For the first time in Russia, a complete translation of the biography of Nikolai Gogol, written by Vladimir Nabokov. – The book opens up new facets of the work of Gogol and Nabokov. – Nabokov rethinks the image of Gogol, contrasting his interpretation with traditional criticism. – The book combines a biographical approach with a pronounced aesthetic of the author. – The publication includes accompanying materials that allow you to get deeper into the author's text and learn the history of its creation.