We live in the best of all worlds. This belief has long consoled the thinking part of humanity, which from time to time wonders how many such worlds there were in total? And what caused their decline? And, most importantly, what is the place of modern civilization in this eternal chain? This book by Dmitry Merezhkovsky was written in exile under the impression of the Apocalypse that occurred in the poet’s homeland in the 17th year of the 20th century. Looking into the eyes of the Beast, Merezhkovsky asked himself the same questions and turned to ancient times for their resolution. In order to properly understand the spiritual life of these literally pre-Flood times, he studied a mountain of ancient texts, many of which, apparently, will never be translated into Russian. The result is a brilliant book about modern humanity, with all its strengths and weaknesses, overshadowed by the inevitable prospect of the coming Last Judgment. You can, of course, disagree with the author’s conclusions, but it’s better to read this book first.