“The name of the writer and journalist Anatoly Alekseevich Gordienko has long been known in Karelia. He is the author of many books dedicated to the events of the Great Patriotic War. He became very famous for the documentary novel “The Death of the Division,” dedicated to the tragic events of the Soviet-Finnish War of 1939-1940. The book “Long ago and recently” is a memoir about people with whom the author knew, about interesting events in our country and Karelia. Among the heroes are famous writers and poets K. Simonov, L. Leonov, B. Pasternak, N. Klyuev, documentary filmmaker R. Carmen, singer N. Gyaurov... Other heroes of the book are less known, but their destinies and biographies will be of interest to readers. Participants in the Great Patriotic War, famous and ordinary, are especially dear to the author, and he talks about them in the final part of the book. The new book is addressed to a wide range of readers who are interested in literature, culture, cinema, art, and the history of our country.” (Electronic version of the book contains many photographs from the author's personal archive that were not included in the paper original.)