Fallen Angels: Demonology of Medieval Russia

From the author of the book "Nimb and Cross: How to Read Russian Icons" Dmitry Igorevich Antonov — Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor, Director of the Center for Visual Studies of the Middle Ages and Modern Times at the Faculty of Cultural Studies of RGGU. Author of the books: "Nimb and Cross: How to Read Russian Icons" (Moscow: AST, 2023), "Tsars and Pretenders: The Struggle of Ideas in Russia During the Time of Troubles" (Moscow: RGGU, 2019, 2023), "Russian Middle Ages: The World of Ideas" (Moscow: Slovo, 2024, co-authored with L. B. Sukina and M. R. Maizuls), "Soviet Icons: History and Ethnography of the Nizhny Novgorod Tradition" (Moscow: Indrik, 2023, co-authored with D. Yu. Doronin), "Anatomy of Hell: A Guide to Ancient Russian Visual Demonology" (Moscow: Forum-Neolith, 2013, 2015, 2018, 2020, 2024; co-authored with M. R. Maizuls) and others. Finalist for the "Book of the Year" and "Educator" awards. Concepts of fallen angels, their earthly "relatives" (dragons, centaurs, false gods...) and "servants" (sinners, pagans, heretics) are one of the most vivid and unusual layers of medieval culture. Ancient Russian texts are full of stories about devilish machinations and demonic creatures inhabiting the earth and the underworld. Demons and hybrid monsters were depicted in icons, frescoes, and miniatures. Demonological plots played many roles: they explained the causes of disasters, illustrated biblical and hagiographical texts, and helped describe "enemies" or demonize opponents. These plots and images have fueled imagination for centuries and have been filled with the most unusual details. The new book by historian Dmitry Antonov tells for the first time about ancient Russian demonology as a whole system of beliefs. It discusses literature, iconography, and folklore; how ideas about fallen angels and their earthly "agents" developed and changed in Russia. The book will be interesting not only to humanitarians (historians, folklorists, cultural scientists, philologists) but also to a wide range of readers. "In medieval literature, the demon not only tempts people, torments sinners, and flees from the righteous, but also prays, weeps, works, and reads sermons,"