The author shows that in times of great social upheavals even rationally thinking philosophers sometimes resorted to mythological images for understanding and explaining what was happening. Frank also resorted to the semi-lingual symbolism of the dead as a force acting in life. However, in Russian culture the theme of Necropolis, dead souls, a dead house, speaking in the graves of the dead (in Dostoevsky's novel Bobok) sounded quite distinctly. In his classic article De Profundis Frank quite consciously turned to this novel of Dostoevsky for an explanation of quite concrete political realities. But is it possible in reality the influence of the dead. But when social approaches do not work, people reluctantly turn to mythology. The appeal to the theme of the dead is the reaction of the society experiencing a deep crisis. It should be taken into account that the pre-revolutionary years are the years when what Mamardashvili calls “social alchemy” arises. That is, overcoming reality. The author shows that such alchemy is fraught with social catastrophe.