The "Russian Bards" series, of course, couldn't do without Alexander Dol'sky. This compilation obviously does not pretend to impose on the title of The Best, but the principles that became the basis of the compilation work are not entirely clear. The general approach of the publisher to the series is regrettable: there is no other information apart from the song lyrics and pictures; the booklet gives no description of the authors of the songs. It could be that the series is intended for fans who are already familiar with the genre, but those already probably have Dol'sky's "entire song collection." Music fans who are not so familiar with the bard genre but who are just interested in the series, will have some questions, and those questions will go unanswered. It seems that the "Russian Bards" series is just another standard commercial product, not gearing towards any higher artistic aims. The songs themselves, though, are very good.