The book of poems “Characters” consists of seven parts or, if you like, chapters, approximately equal in volume. In the first part - “Inflorescences of distant youth” - poems written mainly in the 60-70s of the last century. The second part – “Field Season” – is dedicated to the years devoted to geology. “Cyclotron” – several very diverse groups of poems collected in cycles. “The Nineties” are poems written in the 90s, poems that, to one degree or another, illustrate these nervous times. The fifth part, with the somewhat playful title “Fairly Free Poems About Anything,” consists only of free verse. “Plots” - this chapter is represented by several rather multi-line poems-stories. And finally, the last chapter of the book - “Happy involuntarily” - contains poems written already in this millennium. The author imagines that it is in this guise and condition that the book will look quite complete and not too tedious for a possible reader.