Its contents were on the 1860-1880s movements, especially about Narodnaya Volya (People's Will), a populist terrorist organisation, whose views and tactics were idealised by the magazine.

In the late autumn of 1905, Burtsev returned to Russia from exile and asked permission to the authorities to publish Byloye, which he was immediately denied.

[3] On January 28, 1906, Byloye was reprinted in Saint Petersburg, Russia, following censorship approval, with a monthly edition under the subheading Журналъ пocвященный иcтopiи ocвoбoдитeльнaгo движeнiя (Journal dedicated to the history of the revolutionary movement).

[3] In March 1909, by decision of the St. Petersburg Trial Chamber, Shchegolev was sentenced to three years of solitary confinement "for distributing works with the deliberate intention of provoking rebellion".

Bogucharsky was deported abroad, and Burtsev, who had experience in being repeatedly expelled, left Russia in good time.