“We were the same age, we were on first name terms, we met in Paris, Rome and New York, twice I was his confidante, he was the best man at my wedding, I was present in the hall during both his trials, I corresponded with him when he was in Norenskaya and saw him off at Pulkovo airport. But this entire proud list means absolutely nothing. This is a simple chain of accidents, and I did not occupy any, not the slightest place in Joseph’s life.” Everything here is true, except for the last phrases. Rada Alloy, whose name rarely appears in the literature about Brodsky, in the sixties belonged to the circle of people closest to the poet. And her memories return to our idea of the young Brodsky the breadth and volume that is lost over time.