“A rooster in an aquarium” is, of course, a metaphor. A metaphor for self-irony that dominates this unusual book of memoirs. It is easy to read, with unflagging interest. What makes it entertaining is the variety of rapidly changing scenes, situations and faces. The author talks mainly about the everyday life of his time, be it Russian-Iranian Ashgabat in the 1930s, a rifle battalion at the front in Poland and East Prussia, the Military Academy or Moscow University in 1960 -s years. All this is shown “from the inside” by the observant author. The unique memory, which allows the author to reproduce with mirror-like accuracy the events and conversations of half a century ago, gives the book another dimension - the effect of immersing the reader in the unique atmosphere and life of the 30s - 70s of the last century. Another attractive feature of these memoirs is their psychological accuracy and the author’s calmly ironic view of everything that happens to him and around him.