The book is devoted to the reconstruction of religious ideas, which were reflected in ritual behavior and some other aspects of Christian symbolism. It combines three essays, which are related in a certain way in their content. The first of them is devoted to the history of the sign of the cross and is intended to answer the question: why do some Christians (for example, Orthodox) cross from right to left, while others (for example, Catholics) cross from left to right? How did this difference arise and what is behind it? The second essay is devoted to the history of the circle movement in church rituals. The question of how to move when walking around the font, lectern or the temple itself - sun (clockwise) or against the sun (counter-clockwise) - turned out to be one of the fundamental issues in the polemics between Old Believers and New Believers (followers of the reforms of Patriarch Nikon). What caused this controversy and what importance do the disputing parties attach to movement in one direction or another? Finally, the third essay is devoted to the combination of a cross and a crescent, so common on the domes of Russian churches. How ancient is this configuration and what is its original meaning? If the first essay is based on a comparison of the Orthodox and Catholic traditions, the second - on a comparison of the old and new rites in the Russian Church, then the third essay examines the relationship between Christian and pagan ideas. The book is intended for those who is interested in the history of the church and, in particular, the history of formal (ritual) differences in different church traditions.