The story begins with an author who introduces himself as nothing more than an editor — the one who supposedly found a real chronicle with an account of the fictional city of Glupov. After a short introduction from the voice of a fictional chronicler, comes an account of the “roots of origin of the Glupovites,” in which the author offers the first sketches of satire on historical facts. But the main part, in fact, tells about the most outstanding mayors of the city of Glupov.