About the book: 2001 / The proposed publication is the first complete edition of a remarkable historical monument - the memoirs of Count Fyodor Petrovich Tolstoy (1783–1873). Part of the "Notes" "was published in 1873 in the magazine "Russian Antiquity" with significant editorial cuts and edits. Almost half of the text of the manuscript was omitted, where Tolstoy rather sharply criticizes the morals of the high society of Catherine’s era, gives a far from flattering description of Emperor Paul I and his dignitaries, and talks in detail about his training voyages in 1800–1801. to Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland while studying at the Naval Cadet Corps.F. P. Tolstoy belongs to that wonderful galaxy of domestic cultural figures who make up the glory of Russia. Whatever Tolstoy did - medal art, sculpture, graphics, silhouette, painting - he was able to achieve great success everywhere and is rightfully considered to this day one of the best artists of the first half of the 19th century. Artistic pursuits did not prevent Tolstoy from not only being interested in socio-political events, but also taking an active part in them. In 1810 he became a Freemason, and soon he himself headed the Masonic lodge “Chosen Michael”. Almost simultaneously he becomes a member and then one of the leaders of the secret society “Union of Welfare”. Tolstoy knew many writers, poets, artists and composers. His famous salon was visited at different times by A. S. Pushkin, V. A. Zhukovsky, N. I. Gnedich, F. N. Glinka, A. N. Verstovsky, N. V. Gogol, I. S. Turgenev, I. A. Krylov, M. I. Glinka, A. N. Maikov, A. F. Pisemsky, T. G. Shevchenko, K. P. Bryullov and many others. Frequent guests were the Decembrists K. F. Ryleev, A. A. and N. A. Bestuzhev, S. P. Trubetskoy, N. M. and A. N. Muravyov, S. I. Muravyov-Apostol. For all those interested in history and Russian culture.