In 1932 Lev Davidovich Landau moved from Leningrad to Kharkov. The lectures he started giving at Kharkov University immediately drew the attention of the students. Those who knew Landau can readily imagine the charisma he emanated. Besides, those years were the golden age of theoretical physics. Quantum mechanics had already been created, but the wide field of its applications was still to be explored. In particular, the quantum theory of the solid state began to sprout around that time. Landau's sociable disposition and his readiness to discuss physics immediately stimulated the formation of a group of young physicists and students who were keen on working with him.