Psychoanalysis developed rapidly and uniquely in the atmosphere of the Silver Age and the early futurist experiments of the Bolsheviks. In its history in Russia, the intellectual influences of Freud and Nietzsche intertwined in an unusual way.

The book consists of chapters dedicated to different periods of the development of Russian psychoanalysis, interspersed with stories of the lives of famous Russian analysts and patients. It explores in detail the romantic relationship between C. Jung and the Russian psychoanalyst Sabina Spielrein. In light of new materials about the friendship between M. Bulgakov and the first U.S. ambassador to the USSR, and Freud's patient, William Bullitt, a new interpretation of "The Master and Margarita" is offered. The author has discovered new archival materials.

The book unveils a fascinating, previously almost unknown line of development in Russian thought. Psychoanalysts and symbolist poets, anthroposophists and Marxists, stars of European modern culture, and NKVD agents—all meet again on these pages.

This is the first book by historian Alexander Etkind, a professor at Cambridge and several European universities. As one of the most renowned Russian humanitarians, Etkind explores various topics in intellectual and cultural history. He has published more than a dozen books in different languages.