Subjecting a comprehensive analysis to such concepts as imperialism, religious prophecies and nationalism in literature, Judith Kalb turns to the theme of Russia's self-identification with Rome in the period from 1890 to 1940. Examining the texts of six writers - D. Merezhkovsky, V. Bryusov, A. Blok, Vyach. Ivanov, M. Bulgakov and M. Kuzmin - the author argues that the myth of Russian (Scythian) Rome not only survived the collapse of the empire and the emergence of a new state, but was revived with the aim of creating a new national identity. Using the versatility of symbolism and the rhetoric associated with Rome, Russian modernist authors tried to integrate Russian national history into the archetypal Western narrative and at the same time affirm the significance of the often neglected role of the Eastern partner. The publishing layout of the book is preserved in PDF A4 format.