This article represents a genre of philosophical criticism that can be defined as a reflection of the book on N. G. Chernyshevsky written by V. K. Kantor, a historian of Russian philosophy. Kantor creates a new intellectual biography of Chernyshevsky as opposed to the Soviet version, inherited from Lenin, of Chernyshevsky as a revolutionary Democrat. Chernyshevsky’s biography reflects the transformation of intellectual and political culture that took place in Russian society in the second half of the 19th century. I attempt to analyze the main ideas of the book through addressing the historiography of the subject in this critical article. The two main questions posed are whether a writer’s legacy can be “cleared” from the revolutionary myth and ideological interpretations, and is it fair to define him as a supporter of gradual reform and as a Christian thinker? The article also introduces the reader to the historical-philosophical tradition of research on Chernyshevsky. I also demonstrate the literary and philosophical sources for the study of Chernyshevsky’s work in the periods between three Russian revolutions and emigration. This essay presents a critical overview of the key instruments of historical and philosophical Chernyshevsky studies in the Russian intellectual context of the 20th century. Identifying the actual intention of the thoughts of Chernyshevsky is extremely important today. This paper responds to the relevance of studying the texts of Russian social and religious thought in the present stage of the problematic field of the history of philosophy.