Why do I not want to return to the USSR?

Abstract

The journal Psychology and Society presents pamphlet-confessions by two prominent representatives of imperishable Ukrainian culture – Ivan Bahrianyi (real name Ivan Lozoviiaha, 1906–1963) and Professor Serhii Boltivets (b. 1956). Although separated by almost eighty years, their works are united by a consistent and authentic vision of the predatory essence of Bolshevism, which in today’s globalized world has re-emerged in the form of totalitarian and profoundly misanthropic Russian Nazism. In fact, both address the same phenomenon – Moscovite/Russian fascism of inhuman origin and pan-imperial character. Their writings share a meticulous commitment to factual accuracy and sincerity in exposing issues long silenced or distorted. Their life trajectories, increasingly marked by creative progress, exemplify canonical works of historical psychology that contrast two irreconcilable poles: on the one hand, the destructive legacy of the Russian imperial and Soviet “prison of nations,” and on the other, the enduring spiritual and cultural resilience of the Ukrainian nation, sustained across centuries of its identity and originality. Therefore, the restoration of historical memory and self-respect remains a crucial task, enabling Ukrainians to achieve intellectual unity, collective action, and lasting victories.