From the editor. We are publishing a transcript of a speech by Alexander Etkind , professor of Russian literature and cultural history at the University of Cambridge, which took place on December 10, 2012 at the Higher School of Economics with the support of the National Democrat club. * * * Alexander Etkind: It’s great to give a lecture when such a large audience is almost full. I'm not spoiled by large student gatherings.

... what can you do, since spring - The inevitable time of the year, And the goal alone is clear An unreasonable goal is freedom! Alexander Yesenin-Wolpin (inspirer of the dissident movement in the USSR and the senior ally of V. Bukovsky) 1. Travel to the past In 2008, the St. Petersburg publishing house Nestor-History published a reprint of the book of Vladimir Bukovsky, “Letters of a Russian Traveler”, supplemented by the critical work “EUSSR” first published in the Russian Federation.