The book by the art historian Natalya Semenova accomplied the exhibition “Shchukin. Biography of a Collection” (June 18 — September 15, 2019). The book is devoted to the legendary art collection assembled by the Moscow merchant Sergei Shchukin. The author attempts to trace how dramatic and, at times, tragic events in the life of the collector impacted on his decisions to acquire a particular piece of art. At a point in history, the famed collection was divided between Moscow and Leningrad. Now it is presented in a single album. Thanks to rare archival documents and photographs published here, the book fully exposes the life of the great 20th-?entury art collector.