Directmedia Publishing Moscow 2008 "Illustrated history of religions" according to the plan of its creator, professor of theology from Amsterdam D.P. Chantepie-de-la-Saucey, was intended for everyone who is really interested in the history of religious views of different peoples. The material for this encyclopedic publication is based exclusively on primary sources, which were studied by the authors in the original languages. However, it is presented popularly, with a view to a wide audience of readers. The book is richly illustrated, it presents images of gods of different nations, objects of religious worship, relics and shrines. Compiled in collaboration with Dr. T. Ahelis (Bremen), prof. Dr. I. de Groot (Leiden), Prof. Dr. A. Golwerd (Leiden), prof. Dr. M. Gutsma (Utrecht), Dr. F. Jeremias (Dresden-Trachenberg), main. librarian G. Lange (Copenhagen), Dr. E. Lehmann (Copenhagen), prof. Dr. I. Valeton (Utrecht). Translation from the third newly revised German edition of Yakov-On. The Russian edition has been supplemented by the editors and is supplied with many figures in the text, individual paintings, tables and chromolithographs. Volumes 1-2. St. Petersburg: Publishing House “Bulletin of Knowledge” (V. Bitner), [1913]. The book was published in the series “Scientific Library: Collection of major works from all fields of knowledge”, editor-publisher V.V. Bitner [Ethical Department]. Almost all non-Christian religions are represented in the publication. The first volume is devoted to the religion of primitive peoples, as well as the Chinese, Japanese, Egyptians, Semitic peoples of Western Asia, Judaism and Islam. It tells about the beliefs of African tribes, their ideas about world, about the cruel cults of the Aztecs, during which the hearts of the best warriors were sacrificed to the gods, about the religious ideas of the peoples of Oceania, etc. The second volume of the “Illustrated History of Religions” contains sections that examine the Vedic and Brahmanical religions, Jainism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, as well as Greek and Roman cults. Attention is also paid to Balto-Slavic beliefs. Attention in the book is thus drawn to all major traditional religions. It is also important that the publication was prepared by a large group of scientists, each of whom was an expert in his field - Slavic, ancient Greek and other cults. The large mythological and ethnographic material presented in the book gives scope for comparisons, searches for common features in the religious systems of different peoples, ancient mythological stories that migrate from culture to culture. This publication is distinguished by great diversity in its content. This is due to the fact that in order to deepen specialization, researchers who studied certain religions and cultures were involved in the creation of certain departments of the two-volume work, that is, narrow specialists whose knowledge in the areas of their specialization was especially complete and comprehensive. It was not possible to achieve some kind of unity of opinion between them even on the most basic concepts. But this gives the book additional charm, since scientific research has not yet led to the creation of a rigid scheme.