The paper considers the opposition between Mandel’shtam and Stalin. The traces of the expo-sure of the leader are found in different works by of Mandel’shtam. In particular, the paper author believes that the formation of the graphic structure of the epigram «We live without feeling the country under us» («My jivem pod soboiu ne chuia strany».) is connected with the translations from Georgian of the poem «Gogotur and Apshina» by Vaja Pshavela and St. Petersburg short novel «Egyptian mark». They are all united by the motive of robbery and banditry (stealing a morning coat) labeling the personage (Rotmistr Kjijanovsky) as a pseudo-hero. Mandel’shtam’s system of values is close to the epos of Vaja Pshavela considering the dichotomy of a genuine hero and a false one.