The story of Anatoly Rybakov is the journey of a man who went through exile, war, late literary success, and managed to speak about the Soviet past when silence seemed almost mandatory. When it comes to literature of the second half of the 20th century, it is especially acute that books were not only art but also a way to articulate what had long been forbidden to speak aloud. In this context, the figure of Anatoly Rybakov acquires special strength. His biography itself resembles a novel: political exile in the 1930s, war, return from Berlin with the rank of major, and then an unexpected entry into literature through popular adventure prose. But his voice becomes truly important when personal experience and historical memory converge in large books about time, fear, and broken hopes. Natalia Ivanova's lecture focuses precisely on this turning point. The attention will be on "Heavy Sand" and "Children of the Arbat" - texts through which one can see how Soviet history entered literature with immense internal tension. Ideas on where to go in Yekaterinburg are collected on our website.