In his book, which was based on a course of lectures delivered by A. Sinyavsky at the Sorbonne in 1978,1984, the author explores not so much the history of Soviet civilization as its theory and even, rather, "metaphysics" (in his own words). The main postulates or cornerstones of Soviet civilization, such as "revolution," "state," "new man," etc. are considered in detail. In parallel, the writer looks at Soviet civilization through the eyes of her fiction. "For the artistic image, in addition to vigilance, is endowed with the features of a symbol, and in this case we are most interested in the symbols that remain a majestic monument of the era" (A. Sinyavsky). The book was published in many countries and in many languages. Now she finally comes out in the author's homeland.