Mark Anatolyevich Zakharov is the greatest figure of Russian culture, whose name is forever inscribed in the history of Russian theater and cinema. The creator and permanent artistic director of the Lenkom Theater, he turned it into a territory of creative freedom, where such stars as Inna Churikova, Oleg Yankovsky, Alexander Abdulov and many other masters of the stage were revealed. His iconic films — 'The Twelve Chairs', 'Slaying the Dragon', 'An Ordinary Miracle', 'The Very Munchausen', 'The Formula of Love' — have become iconic and have been quoted. Zakharov also made a significant contribution to the preservation of Moscow's historical appearance by initiating the reconstruction of the Iversky Gate of the Kremlin and the revival of the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Putinka. The book 'Theatrical fantasy on the theme… Thoughts are good and malicious' — the last word of the artist, the final chord of his wise, full-blooded, filled with irony and human warmth creative path. These are reflections that combine the memory of the past, observations of the surrounding reality and selfless faith in art as the highest unifying principle.