Nikolai Afanasyevich Sotnikov (1900–1978) lived a long and creatively rich life. Publishing editor, newspaper journalist, editor and screenwriter at the Lennauchfilm film studio, executive secretary of the Drama Council of the Russian Writers' Union - all these positions enriched the writer's creative experience and expanded the range of his creative interests. In his life he was lucky enough to know outstanding figures of literature, art and science, to tell modern readers and viewers about them. This memorial collection is like books in one book: these are documentary stories about the famous French chansonnier Pierre Degeyter, about the dynasty of trainers Durovs, about the outstanding scientist N.A. Morozov, the dramatic artist Illarion Pevtsov, about the outstanding figure of the Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Alexy the First, about the head of the Buddhist Church in the USSR from 1956 to 1969 Yeshi-Dorji Sharapov, about many other people met at the crossroads of the 20th century. For the first time, the journalism and criticism of N.A. has been brought together. Sotnikov, all his main dramatic works. The collection is diverse and original. All texts are published in the author's editions.