This book offers a professional’s perspective on the history of late Soviet and early post-Soviet Ukrainian diplomacy, drawing on 40 years of first-hand experience of its author across multiple positions in Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. As an eyewitness account of a career diplomat with unique insights, it remains relevant today. The book focuses on the diplomacy of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic—a “phantom” state largely unknown to the public—, with which the author is intimately familiar. It was during this period, in the broader context of Ukraine’s long history, that the foundations of the diplomatic service of independent Ukraine were laid. Reminiscences from the past guide the reader into the present, offer a glimpse of the future, and spark unexpected associations. This makes the book compelling not only for foreign relations specialists but also for a wider audience, particularly those who have chosen the challenging path toward the diplomatic arena.