Leonid Vıdgof’s book about Mandelstam is a unique phenomenon. “Moscow-studies” helps you understand the poems of the brilliant poet, and the poems, in turn, make it possible to understand Moscow in all its historical layeredness. The poet was born in Warsaw, grew up and studied in St. Petersburg; that’s where his first fame arrived—but with Moscow he was connected with all his nerves: from hatred to love, feeling himself either a St. Petersburg man “in a vile capital,” or an anonymous “tram cherry,” or a free city “sparrow.” An important part of L. Vıdgof’s research is the reconstruction of the poet’s relationships with Moscow residents: M. Tsvetaeva, V. Yakhtontov, M. Petrovyh, B. Pasternak, S. Klychkov, S. Lipkin, A. Osmerkin, L. Bruni…