About the book: 2021 / This small book is the fascinating memoirs of the famous scientist, Doctor of Historical Sciences Alexey Malashenko about how he came to Arabic studies - about his student years and experience of working in Egypt and Algeria within the framework of Soviet-Arab military cooperation, about funny and sad stories from the difficult life of “ours” in the East in the seventies, and how difficult it is to become and be an Arabist, and an orientalist in general. And it is also a memory of those with whom I had the opportunity to serve and work..