Gilyarovsky was undoubtedly one of the most prominent figures in Moscow in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Repin used him as a model for one of the Zaporozhian Cossacks writing a letter to the Turkish Sultan. He was not only a Moscow legend but also a chronicler of Moscow. Gilyarovsky, 'Uncle Gilyai,' is considered the most famous text by him, his everyday history, 'Moscow and Muscovites,' which is undoubtedly the most colorful story ever told about Moscow.