This book was first published in August 1917. There was very little time left before the terrible days of the October Revolution... The author of the book, Alexander Petrovich Golubtsov (1860–1911), is an outstanding scientist and brilliant teacher at the Moscow Theological Academy, the author of many works. His church-historical and church-art studies are unique in their depth, diversity of material involved, and clearly substantiated, although sometimes unexpected, judgments. Contemporaries spoke of him as a man of true moral height and commitment to the Church. This, of course, affected his works. The proposed new edition is distinguished by carefully verified text and clarified Greek and Latin terminology.