This volume twelve of the Gorky studies deals with the most difficult period of Gorky"s life after his return to Russia. It includes previously unknown memoirs of the CHeKa officer I.M. Koshenkov, the director of the publishing house Khudozhestvennaia Literatura N.N. Nakoriakov, the correspondence of M. Gorky with M. Prishvin, M.E. Levberg, N.K. Krupskaia and others. The volume includes analytical articles, new publications and comments.