About the book: 2015 / Historical miniatures by Valentin Pikul are a unique phenomenon in modern Russian literature, clearly demonstrating the unrivaled talent of the writer. Each of the miniatures, according to the author, “is also a historical novel, only compressed into a small quantity.” The miniatures included in this publication represent a gallery of brilliant portraits of women and other colorful personalities who left their mark on the history of the 16th - early 20th centuries.