Sergei Dovlatov is one of the most popular and widely read Russian writers of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. His texts have been translated into many languages, filmed, and studied in schools and universities. At the same time, Dovlatov’s funny yet painfully sad prose has long become a classic. “Three Cities of Sergei Dovlatov” is a biography set against the backdrop of Leningrad, Tallinn, and New York. Three friends—Andrei Aryev, Elena Skulskaya, and Alexander Genis—share with the reader vivid memories, letters, and conversations that open a door for us into the times when Dovlatov was not even thinking about world fame yet.