This book was prepared based on articles and interviews with Anatoly Dmitrievich Papanov. It was not entirely easy to prepare it, and not at all because of the paucity of material. On the contrary, the artist gave many interviews, often regardless of his own busyness and fatigue. Such reliability was dictated by respect for other people's time and other people's work. Because Papanov respected his profession endlessly. The difficulty is different: in everything that Anatoly Dmitrievich himself talked about, there is almost no something that forms the basis of most memoirs and memories - personal... He had nothing to hide - Papanov lived a decent, honest life. But he himself said in one of his interviews that an artist off stage or screen should not be a read book for the viewer, and it is not at all appropriate to flaunt his personal life. Well, let's take his position into account - it deserves respect. Shy and delicate, Papanov did not tolerate anyone prying into his soul, and fenced himself off from it. He spoke seriously and a lot, in detail, with enthusiasm about one thing - about the profession.