This edition includes diaries and letters, as well as documentary materials, illuminating the life and creative path of M. A. Bulgakov from 1914 to 1940. In essence, this is nothing more than his biography, compiled from diaries and epistolary legacy. Among the addressees of Bulgakov's letters were V. V. Veresaev, E. I. Zamyatin, A. M. Gorky, K. S. Stanislavsky, and I. V. Stalin. These documents, not intended by the author for publication, recorded various life situations and, arranged in chronological order, reflect with striking objectivity the key moments in his fate and creative biography. In addition, they contain invaluable information about Bulgakov's personal qualities and range of interests, his attitude to the events taking place in Russia, his immediate circle, and the literary and theatrical world.