Rediger's memoirs are an outstanding example of a principled, bold and at the same time balanced assessment of both the circumstances of his own life and the most important historical events, including the characteristics of the people who played leading roles in these events. Many of the author's views and feelings, his reflections on the fate of the Motherland are strikingly consonant with the understanding of the problems of the military-political, economic and spiritual development of Russia at the end of the 20th century.