On 13 February in Moscow in the center of international trade there took place a ball of the press, dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the Union of journalists of Russia. There were around a thousand people from various regions of the country. I even ran into old buddies from Vladivostok, who said to me: «There are many among us who think that you’re living beyond the border». In a way they’re right: Moscow – this is the “abroad” of Russia.

Of famous journalists I saw at the ball Genrikh Borovik, Alexey Simonov, Pavel Gusev, Dmitry Muratov, Yuri Rost, Vitaly Cheyshev, Alexander Minkin… Of the very famous – former Boris Yeltsin bodyguard Korzhakov, who after his dismissal edited a little yellow paper (now there’s a real journalist for you…).