By the will of enthusiastic dreamers—and sometimes by order of those in charge—beautiful legends were born, capable of adorning the annals of any European capital… This city on the Neva wasn’t spared that either. Its history is literally steeped in all kinds of intentions and tall tales. Many of these fantasies have already embedded themselves into the flesh and blood of Petersburg history, and the author doesn’t expect that his book will radically change the situation. Those who want to believe in beautiful and fateful things will keep believing. And besides, the creators of many modern works about old Petersburg too often show excessive disregard for a critical view of things, frequently forgetting to look at the past and the present with an open mind. Such is reality. Still, the author doesn’t intend to be sad about it. Why? Because a legend is interesting, entertaining, vivid, and figurative. It provides colors that strict, factual accounts lack—and in its own way it’s good. Sometimes very good. The important thing is not to forget that the basic unit of history’s construction is still a fact, and it’s on facts that Dmitry Sherikh relies when debunking urban myths.