Friedrich Fidler (1859 –1917) was one of the most important figures on the St. Petersburg literary scene between the 1880s and 1910s. The diaries of this colourful personage have never before been published in Russian. Wellknown in Germany as well as in Russia, Fidler was acquainted and corresponded with many famous writers and cultural figures. At home, he received a steady stream of visitors, who wished to peruse his unique collection of books.

Fidler translated into German, and published in Germany a wide range of works by classical and contemporary Russian poets. The diaries of this remarkable man overflow with fascinating facts and events from the world of Russian literature. Scores of acclaimed and lesser-known hommes de letters figure on these pages, which constitute no less than a monument to the literary world of that time, in all its variety, brightness and contradiction.