From the memoirs of artist Ilya Kabakov: “For two years, Sooster and I were in a studio on Malye Kamenshchiki, but in the fall of 1964, they began to demolish that building, and a compassionate manager from the housing office moved us to another basement, which was just as dark and damp, in a two-story building opposite the Mayakovsky Museum in Taganka. At that time, Gena Aygi was working in that museum. In general, this museum was a refuge for all the persecuted talented unfortunate souls; they held 'progressive' exhibitions there. I remember a small exhibition of Malevich's work in '64 or '65. Our studio became livelier due to this proximity, especially during exhibitions and evenings organized by the museum.

We had two low rooms here; Sooster was in the front room, and I was in the back.”

Ülo continued to illustrate books and worked for the magazine “Knowledge is Power.”

Invited as a set designer for the film "Man and Atom," directed by Kirill Dombrovsky, "Tsentrnauchfilm."

Completed the stage graphic sheets "Falling Woman" and "Woman, Mechanism, and Butterflies."

The artworks of Ülo Sooster were sent abroad: to Czechoslovakia, Poland, and Italy. In the city of L’Aquila, the exhibition “Alternative attuali 2” was held, among the participants were artists from the USSR, specifically from Moscow.

No, they could not go to Italy; the artists lived behind the "Iron Curtain." However, their works overcame the barriers.

“All artists were divided into groups, as if united by a common direction in their creativity. From the perspective of the exhibition organizers, we fit quite well into the ranks that had formed in contemporary world art by that time. Thus, Sooster ended up in the section 'Symbolic Magic'…” (From the recollections of artist Anatoly Brusilovsky).

The relocation of the family from the house on Krasina Street to a modern apartment on the outskirts of Moscow, in Aleushkino. “Tuesdays” are becoming history.

“This second studio also had to be left behind with Sooster, as the building was being demolished or taken for an enterprise. Once again, we went to plead with the housing manager, and she gave us a new space on Bolshie Kamenshchiki, in the same area,” recalls Ilya Kabakov. “But this studio was absolutely terrible. It was almost entirely below ground, dark, and tiny, and Ülo, who constantly lived and slept in the studio, began to deteriorate, despite his iron health. Nevertheless, we spent the entire winter of 66/67 in it, in impossible cramped conditions and dampness…”

Illustration of Science Fiction – a separate chapter in Sooster’s work.

"Eureka! – he shouts. – I’ll illustrate science fiction! After all, neither Khrushchev, nor Furtseva, nor Moscow Artists’ Union have been to those worlds, so I’ll draw as I wish!" (from Lidia Sooster’s memoirs).

The art editor of the publishing house "Mir" and a friend of Ülo, Yuri Maksimov, believed that Sooster became "the creator of a unique language for interpreting foreign science fiction. He brought new plastic ideas into book graphics of the 1960s. I won’t even mention that in the 13 years he was able to work, during which he established himself as an artist, he created what other artists spend their whole lives working on, often without success, sometimes never even coming close to their goal. All of Sooster's work, from his very first steps, is a large and original phenomenon in art, whether it be painting, easel graphics, or book illustration. The discovery of Sooster for everyone continues.”

According to art historian Eha Komissarov, “the chapter of science fiction in Sooster's work is still unexplored, despite the fact that in Russia, Sooster was known to the general public primarily as a science fiction illustrator. This was due to books by Isaac Asimov, Stanislaw Lem, and others, published with a circulation of 100,000 copies, which rapidly spread his whimsical graphics. Most of these drawings are stored in Tartu, awaiting their researcher."

ooster's works are featured in the exhibitions '16 Artists from Moscow' in Poland, in Sopot and Poznań.

Finished several geometric junipers with reliefs.

From the memories of Ilya Kabakov: “I don’t remember how we spent that winter of ’66/67... One morning I came to the studio, and Ülo wasn’t there. I sat down at the table, but instead of drawing, I somehow got up and just went for a walk, as they say, wherever my eyes looked. It was a wonderful sunny morning. I walked up the boulevards to Sretensky Boulevard… The house I ended up in, the ‘Russia’ house, was indeed a building where studios were being constructed in the attic… The next day I convinced Sooster to also start building next to me; there were still free pieces of attic space.”

From the memories of Lidia Sooster: “... and my husband rushed to Estonia to make money. Almost all the expenses were covered by his father and stepmother Linda, the chairwoman of the collective farm. The missing money Ülo borrowed from his sister Meedi and also from cousins.”

Ülo was happy with his life in the studio; he said, “I am now in paradise; I can smell the paint and the solvent—these are the most fantastic smells, like good French perfumes for a woman, and in my soul, exotic birds sing... I am so happy; I will paint a great many pictures of junipers, the sea, and fish on new materials that can withstand multilayered textures—on cardboard and chipboard. I am creating Estonian art here in Moscow.”

Moskvas käivad eesti kunstnikud, kes kuuluvad ANK-64 rühma (Tõnis Vint, Juri Arrak ja teised).

Juri Arrak recalled, “Thanks to Ülo Sooster, we met other Moscow artists who were making a name for themselves at that time—Yankilevsky, Ilya Kabakov, and others. He influenced me in that I began to draw diligently with ink... Before that, I had no idea that this could be done. He showed just one possibility. In the institute, such things were practically not taught in the 1960s. It wasn’t common to sit in a café and draw faces...—and suddenly, here is an Estonian artist living in Moscow, behaving differently from us—living... The Estonian artist is a temperamental, energetic nature. And he paints modern pictures.”

Yuri Sobolev, on the other hand, went to Tallinn for a jazz festival and took with him a folder of graphic sheets by Ülo Sooster, Ilya Kabakov, Vladimir Yankilevsky, and other artists. Thanks to the support of Estonian artists Valdur Ohakas and Tõnis Vint, an exhibition took place, which was also attended by well-known American musicians and leading music program hosts. Thus, largely thanks to Ülo Sooster, an interesting phenomenon emerged—a cultural bridge between Tallinn and Moscow.

On August 21, Soviet troops were introduced into Czechoslovakia. The "Prague Spring"—an attempt at democratic reforms—was crushed by tanks.

The family moves to another apartment in the River Station metro area.

In the magazine Children's Literature, an article by Viktor Pivovarov about Sooster's work is published. “Look, I finally made it! Look!” Ülo joyfully rubbed his hands together; he was very pleased with the appearance of this small article and was extremely grateful to Vitya for drawing the readers' attention to him. (From the memories of Lydia Sooster).

“The artist seems to be searching for some ideal formula of nature, its centricity, a formula as complex as the shape of an egg. There is no contradiction for Sooster between what he does in his painting and what he does in his book. Choosing, for the most part, the realm of scientific and educational as well as science fiction literature, he develops his favorite themes in the book as well.” (From the article by Viktor Pivovarov).

Paintings with heavy relief are completed: “View of the Sea from the Windows,” “Egg Divided into Quarters,” “Winter Junipers,” and the surrealistic “Landscape with Eyes.”

In September, the animated film "Glass Harmonica" was completed. The director was Andrei Khrzhanovsky, the set designers were Ülo Sooster and Yuri Sobolev, the screenwriter was Gennady Shpalikov, and the composer was Alfred Schnittke.

After a two-week screening, it was banned. The film's plot was too similar to the current political realities—the events in Czechoslovakia in 1968. Director Andrei Khrzhanovsky was drafted into the army. The film lay on the shelf for 20 years.

"The film was built on the transformation of images from world painting. People enchanted by Magritte's indifferent 'man in a bowler hat,' grotesquely ugly faces from medieval art—Bosch, Bruegel, Arcimboldo, and the horrors of Goya—were transformed into beautiful faces from the canvases of Renaissance artists: Dürer, Pinturicchio, and El Greco. The music played on the glass harmonica made people sublime and beautiful, but the authorities killed the musician—and the city again became a mass of monsters, until many years later a new musician with a glass harmonica would come."

"Ülo made his second animated film with director Efim Hamburg, who offered him a job as a set designer. The film was called 'Attention! Wolves.' Ülo was very displeased with the plot and agreed to work only reluctantly, solely due to financial constraints. However, the team was excellent once again...

In his life, Ülo was quite eccentric and did not deviate from his rules at the studio. The staff of 'Soyuzmultfilm' still remembers how he walked around the studio barefoot, how he once stuck his face and hands into a copying machine, and how he smoked both where it was allowed and where it was not. Ülo had a significant impact on young artists and animators regarding avant-garde views on art and creative freedom. The company was warm and friendly – both in work and, to be frank, in drinking." (From the memories of Lydia Sooster).

Theatre Director Leonid Kheifitz offered to design the production of the play "Krechinsky's Wedding" at the Maly Theatre, but the staging was canceled.

He illustrated the book "Monologues" by Juhan Smuul. This was already the second collaboration with the Estonian writer. In 1967, "The Ice Book" was published.

"The publishing house 'Izvestia' suggested that Sooster illustrate 'The Ice Book' by Juhan Smuul. Ülo was very pleased—this was an interesting and honorable task for him," recalls the artist's wife. "Due to the growing popularity and the large amount of work being offered, he was trying to find more productive ways...

The drawings for 'The Ice Book' were ready, and it was necessary for Juhan Smuul himself to approve them and give his consent. Ülo rushed to his native Tallinn, to Smuul in the hospital where he was undergoing treatment. Juhan really liked the drawings; he approved everything, and Ülo hoped that their paths would cross again."

In 1969, a book by Vladimir Kartsev titled "Novellas about Physics" was published. "It told about the exciting events in the history of this science – the creation of nuclear weapons, the attempts to penetrate the secrets of the atom. Volodya Kartsev said that he could never have dreamed of a better illustrator for books about physics than Ülo." (From the memoirs of Lydia Sooster).

Sooster creates several zinc plates using the drypoint technique.

"In recent years, he even wanted to make etchings and at least support himself through them. He made quite a few. But where to distribute them, where to put them? And this idea also hung in the air." (From the memories of artist Ilya Kabakov).