Based on the material of the essay memoirs “One and a half rooms”, “Less than one” and critical articles by I. Brodsky, the nature of the autobiographical narrative in the essay memoirs is investigated. An open type of autobiography is highlighted, explicitly expressed and associated with the poet's reflections on his life path and attempts to consolidate the passing time in the word. The key features of autobiographical narration in Brodsky's essay-memoirs are considered.