A writer’s main tool is his memory – his own memory, the collective memory of his people. And the strongest memory is the one that is created by a wound to the heart. – Anatoly Rybakov
I considered that I had to write stories about the people I had met, with whom I’d worked, the history of my books – just in case I up and die. – Anatoly Rybakov
For a professional writer in the Soviet Union, it works this way. First, you have to have something to say – that’s the main thing. Second, it’s a matter of who publishes you. If your book has real stuff in it, readers will ferret it out, even in a Siberian journal. – Anatoly Rybakov
The comforts come from my movie and television writing. It is unusual to live this well simply from books. – Anatoly Rybakov
