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[Alexandr Korol]

connected to that nature — and under no circumstances look at what others are doing or copy it. Even when I started filming little videos about my books back in 2010 — it was a wow moment back then, because no one was doing it. And it felt like I was once again on my own. But then it got vulgarized because everyone started doing it. And that’s why I stopped. So it turns out, you know, if you’re listening to some music, and then the whole society starts listening to it, you can no longer listen to it — it’s been vulgarized. Because through it, you’ll end up in the society. And that’s how society has already almost devoured everything I had. Of course, I’m holding the line. I remain in the “corridor.” But it can’t eat the “corridor” itself. It can only lure you out of it — just as it lured out many of my readers and true creative people — lured them into society. Like, “Come here, look how great it is, make videos like everyone else, jump in and get those views.” And those who took the bait — it’s as if they sold their soul to the devil, as if they turned away from nature. And this society, it has grown tremendously. I don’t know what percentage it is now, but it feels like almost the whole world, and it’s about to devour everyone — me included. You can’t adapt to it. The moment you begin to make concessions or adjust to it, you automatically fall under its influence — you become its victim, this society. So, about being defined... I haven’t defined myself, and I haven’t become the same as everyone else in society either. That’s why I’m still undefined.

Question: And when you started keeping a diary, were there times when you had doubts — maybe I should give it up, maybe it’s not worth it? Or times when you didn’t feel like writing? If that happened, what did you do in those moments to not give up and keep going?

Well, for me... If we’re talking now about the first volume of “Alternative History” and that period of time — back then I was 20–21 years old — I didn’t have a goal. That is, you know, this is a very important position: I wasn’t pursuing a goal for my book to be liked. I didn’t have thoughts like that. I didn’t set a task for the book to be read by a lot of people. Those thoughts didn’t bother me, and in fact, they’re thoughts-parasites. I didn’t have them at all. After all, I wasn’t writing for profit or to please someone. The reason was different. And what was the reason? Well, look, imagine you go for a walk, and suddenly you see three bears in the forest.