The twelfth volume of the Collected Works of V.P. Astafiev includes journalistic articles, conversations, essays, interviews, answers to questions from newspapers and magazines, written by the author over almost fifty years of literary work. Many of them are dedicated to fellow writers and famous figures of Russian culture, outstanding masters of Russian prose: L. N. Tolstoy, N. V. Gogol, V. Ya. Zubrin, S. V. Maksimov, S. P. Zalygin and others. Astafiev’s journalistic articles did not leave the reader indifferent; his discussions about the lessons of the past war, his passionate voice in defense of his native nature, in defense of the dignity of the “little” person and the Russian word caused a stream of responses. His articles written recently are read with the same genuine interest - they are full of anxiety for the present and future of Russia.