The large Burliuk family was divided after the Revolution and Civil War—some left Soviet Russia forever, others remained in their homeland. The same happened to Sonia Delaunay's family and extensive circle of friends. But despite the seemingly closed borders, correspondence between the two families continued for years, and the main theme of these endless letters was the debate between those who left and those who stayed—about the justification for fleeing, about fears for the future, and about whether this or that decision was right. In his new book, 'Leaving or Staying,' writer and researcher Yevgeny Demenok, drawing on previously unpublished archives, attempts to reconstruct this correspondence and revisit a topic that remains relevant today. Because the pain that accompanied these people throughout their dramatic and often tragic lives remains pain forever—for both those who leave and those who remain, regardless of the terrible times in which the events described take place.