The article concerns the novel The Plague (1989) by Valeriy Shevchuk, in which the author explores the motif of epidemic. In the novel, the epidemic is a metaphor for the lack of historical and cultural memory caused by an oppressive political system. Presented as a form of cultural and national amnesia, it serves as background for reflection on the post-totalitarian heritage of contemporary Ukrainian society. Valeriy Shevchuk’s novel is based on historical documents, but it is not a work of literary realism, but rather a kind of morality play that deals with universal issues.