This is a book of the recollections of L.T. Zhdanov, a master of ballet photography, a prominent teacher, and a soloist at the Bolshoi Theater from 1946 to 1966 – the autor Irina Deshkova. The Publishing house «Novosti”, Moscow. Also included are recollections of Zhdanov by his contemporaries – M.Semenova,G.Ulanova, A.Ermolaev, K.Goleyzovsky, U.Fajyar, M.Plisezkay, family, friends, and students. Among them are Yuri Grigorovich, E. Surits, G. Ledyakh, V.Vasiliev, M.Leonova, B.Akimov, N.Goleyzovsky, N.Zhdanova, Z.Leshko, T.Matach, B.Lezhen, Y. Tikhonov, M.Ryzhkina, M. Alexandrova, N. Tsiskaridze, I.Zhigachev, and I.Deshkova.

The memoirs of L.T. Zhdanov include fascinating and colorful stories about the master himself, school, theater, people, and the times in which they lived. Among the heroes are the Zhdanov family, the choreographer K.Goleyzovsky, the great artists M.Semenova, G.Ulanova, M. Plisetskaya, A.Ermolaev, E.Kacharov, V.Vasiliev, and others. The book is beautifully illustrated, and 150 photos, including those from the personal archives of the family, have been published for the first time in this book.

The eighteen photographs (120x80) included in this exhibition were taken by L.Zhdanov in the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Theater in the 1973 performance season. He managed to capture not only the classical repertoire - "Shtrausiana" "Swan Lake", "Esmeralda," "Snow White", "Paquita", and "Cinderella", but also a remarkable portrait of the ballet stars of the time - V.Bovt, E . Vlasova, S.Vinogradova, V.Chigirev, V.Reshetnikova, M. Drozdova, G.Krapivina, L.Trunina, M.Krapivin, and Y. Grigoriev.

The exhibit commemorating the “golden age” of the Bolshoi Ballet, was timed for the 50th anniversary of Leonid Zhdanov’s work as a photo artist. “The Bolshoi Theater is my home. I can’t imagine myself outside its walls, outside its magic aura, outside this exceptional world, which gave me the greatest happiness of creative self realization”, - said Leonid Zhdanov in an interview.