Viktor Baranets is a former press secretary of the Russian Minister of Defense, who served in the Central Office of the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff for more than ten years; was dismissed from the army immediately after the publication of excerpts from his book in the newspaper “Top Secret”. A direct participant and witness to many events that shook the Russian Armed Forces in the 90s, he talks about sensational and little-known aspects of the life of the Ministry of Defense, about some secrets of the General Staff -' The White House on Arbat" - and its inhabitants. The author analyzes the hidden sides of the complex relationship between the Supreme Commander-in-Chief and the top generals, and also presents a gallery of portraits of many famous military leaders.