What did Chichikov and the mayor look like through the eyes of the first illustrators? The meeting will analyze how the graphics of Alexander Agin differ from the satirical lithographs of Peter Boklevsky, what details make the characters come alive, and why these drawings still shape our understanding of Gogol's classics - with humor, anxiety, and precise character portrayal. Gogol is often remembered by his intonation - funny, sharp, at times gloomy. But there is another layer of perception: we involuntarily imagine the faces, poses, costumes, even the gait of the characters. This image is formed from the drawings that accompany the texts and gradually turn into a "canon". The presentation talk will focus on two artists whose works significantly influenced how we read and "see" Gogol: Alexander Agin and Peter Boklevsky. Agin created the first illustrations for "Dead Souls" - attentive to everyday life and gestures, with precise observations of types. His characters are recognizable without a signature: just a silhouette, a tilt of the head, a characteristic detail of clothing. Peter Boklevsky is known for his satirical lithographs for "The Government Inspector" and "Dead Souls". He acts differently. He amplifies negative traits, makes the grotesque sharper, capturing comedy and unpleasant truth simultaneously. Comparing these two approaches helps to understand why the same character can appear funny, anxious, or almost pathetic - and how the artist manages our empathy. The chief librarian of the IBC of the N.K. Roerich Art School, Natalia Anatolyevna Shatalova, will show key sheets, explain the language of book graphics, and discuss how illustrations change the visual perception of classics. The conversation will be accessible even to those who are far from art history: what matters are not the terms, but the observance and interest in the text. This meeting will suit readers, lovers of Russian literature, those who collect visual references, teachers, students, and anyone who wants to reread familiar pages with fresh eyes. After the conversation, it will be easier to notice the author's irony, distinguish satire from empathy.