Boris Konstantinovich Zaitsev was an outstanding Russian writer with a difficult fate. After gaining recognition and fame even in pre-revolutionary Russia, in 1922 he left his homeland and spent almost 50 years in emigration. The influence of the religious and philosophical school of N. Berdyaev and L. Shestov, with whom he maintained close relations, is reflected in works such as “Afon,” “Valaam,” and “The Life of Saint Sergius.” Although Zaitsev is called an impressionist in prose, the traditions of Russian realist literature remained paramount for him. The literary biography “The Life of Turgenev” is permeated with love and respect for Russian classics.