The world of childhood is, first of all, those closest to us: parents, grandparents, their interests, their relationships, their stories and instructions. Understanding comes later, and then it is only listening in passing, surprise, bewilderment... These are everyday everyday things that are later remembered with nostalgia or rejection, but almost always with unfading brightness. This autobiographical, very sincere book describes Soviet childhood in detail, with characteristic and well-recognizable details. But M. Aromstam is primarily interested in something else - “how the adults were silent at that very time. How they didn't have the strength to say anything about themselves. How they had no understanding of what happened to them. How they didn’t have the language for this. How they wanted to forget everything that could be forgotten..." Their omissions reveal the drama of our common history, the continuation of which the author finds in his own life. M. Aromshtam (b. 1960) is a writer, teacher, journalist, translator, and author of books for children and adults. Works addressed to teenagers have been awarded the Cherished Dream, Yasnaya Polyana, and The Little Prince awards.