This is the first book in Russian, entirely aimed at considering the phenomenon of medieval music and aimed at a wide audience. The purpose of this book is not to talk about things that may be of interest only to professional musicologists or medievalists; on the contrary, its purpose is to consider the history of European music in the general cultural, social and political key of its time. Music is always woven into the main outline of human development, into familiar or unfamiliar events, reflecting and absorbing the spirit of history. Thus, knowing the characteristic features and properties of music, we can understand the Middle Ages, begin to feel, think and experience the way people did many centuries ago.