Tomas Venclova (b. 1937) is a Lithuanian poet, essayist, philologist, and translator, as well as a professor emeritus of Slavic languages and literatures at Yale University. His works have been translated into numerous languages and hold a significant place in contemporary culture. He was the first Lithuanian dissident to personally know Akhmatova, Pasternak, Milosz, Brodsky, and many others. Venclova was among the five founding members of the Lithuanian Helsinki Group, one of the first human rights organizations in Eastern Europe.

This book presents an extensive interview where historical events intertwine with chronicles of spiritual resistance. It offers a detailed account of the writer's fate and ethical choices in the twentieth century.

Ellen Hinsey (b. 1960) is an independent researcher, specialist in contemporary European history, and author of several books on historical memory, the mental legacy of totalitarianism, and the anthropology of violence. She was born and raised in the USA and has lived in Europe for the past three decades, teaching in Paris.

This edition is distinguished from the English, German, and Lithuanian editions by a detailed commentary compiled by the translator with the participation of T. Venclova. The book is published with the support of the Lithuanian Culture Institute.