Alexander Fomich Veltman (1800-1870), a classic of Russian literature, a famous mystic, historian, and ethnographer, considered this book his best work. The novel was published in 1833 and immediately earned the reputation of a work that terrifies the reader. Veltman expertly plunges us into the depths of the harsh and cruel world of ancient Russia. He knows the material perfectly well, often uses the buzzwords of that time. And I am convinced that the heroes of folklore, representatives of evil spirits, participated in the Russian history of the Novgorod and Kiev times. Alas, in our time this book has become half-forgotten. Meanwhile, Veltman is a great stylist and a wonderful connoisseur of Ancient Russia. And from the plot that he creates, there is a chilling fear. Read the first thriller of Russian literature, which Pushkin, Gogol and Lermontov read!