<p>Merab Mamardashvili’s philosophy of consciousness suggests an interesting framework for interpreting the Soviet totalitarian system and the post-Soviet stagnant condition. He considers that consciousness and its related phenomena (understanding, will, belief, conscience, freedom, etc.) are only symbolically grasped by consciousness itself and language. These symbolic acts have a practical aim: to contribute to the recreation of specific and unique realizations of these phenomena. For this reason, a symbolic and conditional content of consciousness has secondary significance; the crucial thing is how the act of consciousness is conducted: whether it is locked in a mechanized cycle or freely and practically recreates consciousness-related phenomena. According to this view, the Soviet totalitarian regime remained influential even after the dissolution of the USSR because its ideology aimed to control not only the Soviet citizens’ content of consciousness—their beliefs and thoughts—but also the way they thought. The system’s goal was to make citizens “think” mechanically, according to predetermined patterns. As a result, even after the beliefs promoted by the system had faded, the old way of thinking remained. <i>Posthomo Sovieticus</i> believes in and wants a non-totalitarian society in a totalitarian way. From Mamardashvili’s philosophical perspective, the uncritical adoption of discourses developed in non-totalitarian societies might be considered an additional reason for the persistence of the Soviet mentality. Skeptical and relativistic ideologies were taken without the experience that produced them. Total planning changed with total spontaneity. As both models leave the possibility of mechanization, the old patterns of consciousness remained unchallenged.</p>