Tula “Merry People” of Catherine’s Russia in the Autobiographical Work of Abram Bulygin

The purpose of the article is to give an idea of the masters of traditional entertainment in the second half of the 18th century through the prism of the autobiographical story of a resident of Tula entitled “Stories of the city of Tula, the townsman Abram Bulygin, about his wonderful travels around the world, about hunting, fun and work” (late 18th century). It shows a representative of such activity — Abram Bulygin. The article examines in detail the participation of a Tula townsman in the arrangement of fireworks, the organization of which was part of traditional entertainment in Russia in the Catherine era; the possibilities of forming groups of such “masters” are demonstrated.