It was a long time ago. Journeys. Diaries. Memories

Before you is a book in two parts, united by the theme of travel. In the first part, there is a diary narrative by an unknown woman of the Silver Age about her journey through Europe. The special structure of thoughts, language, and perception of everyday life are beautifully captured in this shard of the past and are especially keenly felt a hundred years later, when life, morals, language, and perception of the world have changed so much. When, why, and for what reason this diary ended up in the actress's house, what is the meaning and mystery of its incompleteness and anonymity—we can only speculate. The second part consists of travel notes and diaries of Alla Demidova herself, stories about her trips, meetings with interesting people, and work with outstanding directors. The combination of the nameless text from a century ago with the vivid impressions of our contemporaries not only connects the epochs torn apart by history but also compels us to look differently at many of the places, things, and phenomena that are already familiar and well-known to us. Time cannot be stopped, but it can be captured.