Circle of contacts of the Russian Folk Tales’ publisher A.N. Afanasyev

For the first time ever the article describes the circle of contacts of the Russian Folk Tales’ publisher A.N. Afanasyev, which defines his participation in the social life of his time. He was involved with many outstanding people of the epoch, such as returned from the exile Decembrists E.I. Yakushin, K.D. Kavelin, M.S. Shchepkin, A.I. Gerzen, the secret correspondent of whom Afanasyev was. All these contacts describe Afanasyev as a person with an active social stand and certain democratic views, impact of which became apparent in his many-sided activities.