This is a collection of essays, interviews, verses, and translations by the well known Russian historian and geographer Lev Gumilev (1912-1992). Most of the interviews, dialogues, and articles are about vexing questions of Russian history and culture, history of art and religions. The last chapter includes his verses of the 1930s (before his arrest) and of the 1980s, and his translations from Persian and other oriental languages.