Igor Nikolaevich Sukhikh is a Doctor of Philology, professor at St. Petersburg University, writer, and critic. He is the author of numerous studies on the history of Russian literature in the 19th and 20th centuries, including 'Problems of Chekhov's Poetics,' 'Chekhov in Life: Plots for a Short Novel,' 'Sergei Dovlatov: Time, Place, Fate,' 'From... to... Studies in Russian Literature,' 'Structure and Meaning: Literary Theory for Everyone,' and others, as well as the three-volume 'Russian Literature for Everyone,' beloved by teachers and students. The two-volume 'Russian Canon: Books of the Twentieth Century' is the culmination of the 'famous cultural game' of compiling lists of 'books every educated person should read before they die,' 'the hundred best novels,' 'twenty great poets,' and so on. Works that became classics of the 20th century transcended their time and are read today as testimonies, prophecies, and provocations. Thirty essays present 20th-century Russian literature across barriers—from Chekhov's 'The Cherry Orchard' and Bely's 'Petersburg' to Dovlatov's 'The Reserve' and G. Vladimov's 'The General and His Army.' Written in a free, essayistic style, the book is addressed to all lovers of Russian literature.