Abstract: The article is devoted to a personal document, the “notebook” of the Torzhok merchant Vasily Kozminykh (1852). The manuscript contains extracts from newspapers and journals, notes on local events, and historical discussions. A distinctive feature of the text is the attention to the personality of Napoleon, which runs through all the records. The dates of his biography, extracts about him and his descendants, and discussions about his actions from a Christian point of view allow us to see in the manuscript a unique version of the “Napoleonic myth.” Of particular interest is the “Satire on Napoleon,” written or written down by Vasiliy Kozminykh, presented in rayok style. Numerous extracts from newspapers and journals and comments to them make it possible to evaluate the reading culture in Torzhok, what attracted the author of the entries, and what feelings aroused. The main historical sources for the Torzhok merchant were periodicals, such as “Bulletin of Europe,” “Northern Bee,” and “Moskovskie Vedomosti.”
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