Ethnogenesis and the Biosphere of the Earth. In Search of the Imaginary Kingdom

Lev Nikolayevich Gumilev (1912–1992) — an outstanding historian and ethnologist. The son of famous parents — A. Akhmatova and N. Gumilev, — he had to face the blows of fate throughout his life and, despite all misfortunes, managed to reach unprecedented heights in science. The books «Ethnogenesis and the Biosphere of the Earth» and «In Search of the Imaginary Kingdom», included in the present edition, — are the two most famous works of the scholar. The first one substantiates the theory of passionarity and traces the patterns of interaction between ethnic groups and landscapes in history. The second is dedicated to the legend of a Christian state that existed in Central Asia, led by a king-priest.