A new book by the outstanding mathematician of our time Vladimir Igorevich Arnold reveals another side of his multifaceted talent - the creation of historical miniatures, amazing in both form and content. Simple and vivid presentations of one’s own memories and events of centuries ago always carry a grain of humor and appear on the pages of the book so realistically that one involuntarily feels like a participant in them. And one more remarkable property of Arnold’s “Stories”: they are always instructive - the human qualities revealed in them surprisingly resonate with modernity. Finally, many historical events and their details collected in this book would hardly have become known to us if not for the wisdom of the author, coupled with the ability and passion to “rummage” through the best libraries in the world. So, without a doubt, this book will become a good companion to many readers.