The name of A.P. Rudakov currently enjoys well-deserved fame both in domestic and foreign Byzantine studies. `Essays...` give a lively and broad picture of the life of Byzantine society, masterfully executed and multifaceted in its internal connections. The author’s enormous erudition is reflected in the rich historical and cultural material he collected, which introduces us to a wide variety of issues and realities of Byzantine life. The “Essays” cover city life, villages and estates, the living conditions of various classes and groups of the population, crafts and trade, the life of the capital and the province, craft production techniques, etc. The extensive hagiographic material (lives of saints), so varied and popular in Byzantium, was systematized by the author. All this made, according to D. Obolensky, a professor at Oxford University, A.P. Rudakov’s book “unique in nature.” The new edition of "Essays" is preceded by an introductory article by G.E. Lebedeva, professor, head of the department of history of the Middle Ages, Faculty of History, St. Petersburg State University. She, in collaboration with the wonderful Byzantinist, Professor G.L. Kurbatov, wrote detailed comments. For everyone interested in issues of culture and spirituality.