The Art of Great Masters

In your hands is the most complete edition of the cycle "Bridge over the Abyss," based on the unique series of lectures by Paola Dmitrievna Volkova. "The title and for both the book and the program was chosen intentionally," Paola Dmitrievna used to say. "After all, the image of the bridge is an image of world culture, without which we would not have become a civilization." A brilliant educator and storyteller, through her books, lectures, and simply conversations, she instilled in her students and interlocutors a sense of beauty, striving to reach their souls and cleanse them of accumulated grayness. One of the most iconic books for any educated person, "Bridge over the Abyss" invites us on a journey through the centuries, where we follow her skillful narrative, engage in the storytelling, and rethink the familiar images. This edition presents a revised cycle of "Bridge over the Abyss" in the form it was conceived by Paola Dmitrievna herself — in historical and chronological order. It will also include previously unpublished lectures from her personal archive.