Old Moscow. Old Petersburg

Mikhail Ivanovich Pylyaev (1842-1899) was born in Gdov, studied in St. Petersburg, attended lectures at Kharkov University, and traveled extensively, including to Siberia and the Caucasus, Turkey, and Egypt. In the capital's publications, Mikhail Pylyaev wrote articles on the history... of theater and ballet, reviews of art exhibitions, and reported on events in the cultural life of St. Petersburg. In 1879, several articles about St. Petersburg's antiquity laid the groundwork for future collections "Old Petersburg. Stories from the Past Life of the Capital" and "Old Moscow. Stories from the Past Life of the First Capital," which earned the author a reputation as a discerning expert on history. For us, Mikhail Pylyaev's writings have often remained the only source of facts drawn from private archives, which have since been lost. But these extraordinarily charming narratives, unique guides to the bygone days of the two Russian capitals, even more than a century later, rightfully enjoy the affection of readers.