School of Wonder. Student's Diary

The book by Konstantin Raikin "School of Wonder" is neither an autobiography nor memoirs in the usual sense. It is the confession of a person whose destiny was predetermined to serve art. A confession of a person who, since childhood, did not wish to follow the path outlined by public opinion and consciously refused to bask in the rays of parental glory. In the book, the subtitle "Student's Diary" holds almost a key significance. Here, Konstantin Raikin is not the master of the stage, a beloved figure among the public, speaking from the theatrical Olympus with tales "about life in art." These are notes of an "eternal student," a pupil who continues to ask questions every day, to himself, to the world, to art. He continues to seek answers and sincerely wonder in an attempt to remain alive and authentic both on stage and off it. This book, in a metaphorical sense, is a school notebook of 48 pages, which collects Konstantin Raikin's reflections, feelings, and experiences about the theater that became his fate, about art, about theatrical pedagogy and directing, about outstanding comrades and teachers. About the experience of endless self-examination and self-improvement.