Barskyi was an intellectual and a prominent figure in Kyiv’s unofficial art scene, gathering around him a large circle of artists and humanists. Among his friends were Ukrainian artists Hryhorii Havrylenko, Valerii Lamakh, Serhii Paradzhanov, and the Russian poet Gennady Aigi. Barskyi was one of the first in Ukraine to create conceptual works in the genre of visual poetry, combining visual art with literature — a significant milestone in the development of unofficial art. Thanks to Barskyi, Borges became popular in Kyiv: he translated Borges’ works long before the first official printed editions appeared. Barskyi was a passionate admirer of jazz and rock music, whose rhythms inspired his poetic works, including free verse. He did not fit the Soviet ideal of the worker: his contemplativeness, melancholy, and intense fascination with modernism marked him as a maverick.

Barskyi’s independent ideological stance led to persecution by authorities: in 1959 his apartment was searched, and he was summoned to the KGB for questioning. A few days later, his name appeared in the front lines of an article titled “The End of the Literary Quick Stop” in the newspaper Stalins’ke plemya. Barskyi was prohibited from accepting state commissions or participating in exhibitions.

His admission to the Union of Artists of the USSR in 1967 was motivated solely by the desire to avoid accusations of “idleness.” For the same reason, he occasionally participated in exhibitions, presenting realistic portraits of scientists and cultural figures. Yet his overarching goal remained the pursuit and establishment of his own artistic path, the desire to merge painting and poetry. Moving from painting to collage and incorporating text, Barskyi increasingly explored the visual potential of words, recognizing the equal significance of meaning and visual form.

In 1981, Barskyi and his wife, poet Olha Denysova, permanently relocated from Kyiv to Dortmund. He was a member of the German professional artists’ association Dortmund Group for several years. After leaving the group voluntarily, he devoted himself entirely to his own work, without expecting fame.

Barskyi’s literary works were first published in 1981 in the Parisian journal Ark. His visual works were exhibited in Germany, France, the USA, and Italy. He actively collaborated with the BBC and Radio Free Europe, discussing major developments in West German art. He received international recognition, including the award named after David Burliuk.