Yevhen Sverstiuk is a legendary figure, a long-term “prisoner of conscience,” and a moral authority for several generations of Ukrainians. This book brings together his autobiographical memoirs and reflections, forming a wide-ranging testimony of a twentieth-century life. Despite political upheavals, war, imprisonment in labor camps, and the loss of friends, work, and freedom, Sverstiuk managed to preserve his dignity, honor, and unwavering commitment to his principles.

The author shares the sources of his inner resilience, rooted in family upbringing, the strength of national tradition, and Christian values. With subtle irony, he reflects on his own fate and expectations, while offering profound insights into his time, its people, and its defining events. The volume includes rare photographs from private archives — a visual chronicle of Sverstiuk’s life — as well as archival materials from his investigation file, allowing readers to explore the distinctive genre of so-called “internal reviews.”