The author, who worked in the 1980s and 1990s in Tanzania in the Soviet Embassy and knew well personally J.Nyerere, shares his impressions of meetings with this outstanding African leader. He explains the reasons that did not allow at that time to implement many of the ideas expressed by "Mwalimu" ("teaсher”) Julius Kambarage Nyerere. The publication uses materials and documents from the Archive of Foreign Policy of the Historical and Documentary Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry.