Zinoviev forever. Mephistopheles of Soviet philosophy: to the 100th anniversary of the birth of A.A. Zinoviev

The article is devoted to the memory and analysis of part of the multifaceted socio-philosophical heritage of the famous Russian philosopher A.A. Zinoviev. The authors were primarily interested in the philosopher’s position regarding the cultural and civilizational characteristics of Russia/USSR, the historically multifaceted and complex relations of the Russian cultural and civilizational system with the West. The issues of the elite weakening of the USSR in the late period and post-Soviet Russia in the 90s of the last century are also analyzed. The position of the philosopher A.A., expressed in scientific texts and public speeches, is considered. Zinoviev in relation to these socio-political processes, as well as in relation to the leaders who express them. Methodology and research methods. This study uses the method of historical reconstruction based on the speech of O.M. Zinovieva at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, in private communication with her. In order to build an evidence base on the analyzed issue, and then find solutions, the rationalistic method is used. The main ideas of the study, the results obtained and their discussion. Analysis of multifaceted and, partly, internally debatable provisions that philosopher A.A. Zinoviev expressed at different stages of his scientific and civil biography helps to comprehend not only the socio-philosophical contexts of culture and education in Russia/USSR, but also to give a prognostic view of the future.