About the book: 1982 / Vasily Alekseevich Lebedev (1934-1981) lived in Leningrad. A little over ten years ago, his first book, “The Flower of Poppy,” was published. The reader has come across his name more than once on the pages of the magazines “Our Contemporary”, “Zvezda”, “Neva”, “Young Guard”, etc. In recent years, he has published several books of short stories, novellas, and historical novels: “Life to Live” (1972 ), “Morning of Muscovy” (1974), “Breadwinners” (1977), “Regained Will” (1976), “Khlebozory” (1979) This book includes well-known stories and novellas that are most characteristic of the writer’s work.