The publication of the anniversary issue of the “Sociological Review” almost coincides with the first year anniversary of the death of our friend and journal's editorial board member, remarkable scholar Andrei Vladimirovich Poletaev. Due to the particularities of the publishing cycle, we were a little bit late, but as far back as year ago we decided this time to continue our tradition — to pay the tribute to the memory of our colleagues not only and not so much by obituaries but by extensive articles about their life and work. We are deeply grateful to Irina Maksimovna Savelieva who formed with Andrei Vladimirovich a unique creative alliance of scholars and science organisers. Her narrative permits us to reestimate and in many ways evaluate anew Poletaev's contribution to the changes that social sciences in our country have undergone during last decades. Poletaev's important achievments comprise the main line of the story. To talk about him means to talk about his work. But for us who knew and loved him, this is also one more occasion to remember Andrei, his voice and his reliability as a friend.