This book is a new translation of the “Secret Doctrine” by H.P. Blavatsky, first made based on the text of that edition of the book, which was published during the lifetime of its author. Without exaggeration, this great work of world culture lifts the curtain on the hidden meanings and mysteries of our lives, the secrets of the past, present and future of all humanity. If volume I dealt primarily with cosmogenesis, that is, the formation of the Universe, then in volume II the author’s attention is focused mainly on issues of anthropogenesis, that is, the appearance and evolution of humanity on our planet. It examines in detail the fundamental symbolism used by the great religions and mythologies of the world, discusses a wide range of scientific, religious and philosophical problems, and also offers an original interpretation of the largest monuments of pre-literate and early written culture of the most diverse peoples of the Earth, which cannot but be of interest to philologists and historians , philosophers, orientalists, as well as a wide range of readers.

For the first time, a Russian-speaking reader was able to fully get acquainted with The Secret Doctrine – a fundamental work in the field of Theosophy – thanks to the translation of Helena Ivanovna Roerich, another great compatriot of ours. Every seeker of Truth, both in modern Russia and beyond its borders, has every reason to treat with a feeling of deepest gratitude to all areas of E.I.’s activity. Roerich and, in particular, to that part of her ascetic work that is associated with translations of fundamental theosophical works, such as “The Secret Doctrine” of H.P. Blavatsky and “Letters of the Mahatmas to A.P. Sinnett.” However, as any theosophist is well aware, everything in the world develops cyclically, experiencing a period of infancy, maturity and, alas, inevitable old age. The world must develop and move forward. The need for a new translation is clearly ripe, and this is noticeable in a number of ways. When embarking on a new translation of The Secret Doctrine, the translator sought, valuing every thought of H.P.B., to present it in a more modern and generally accepted literary Russian language and to make the Russian text of this most complex book in terms of depth and richness of thoughts both more readable and more precise in meaning. The task was set to make such a translation (how successful this was, the reader can judge) in which Helena Petrovna Blavatsky would speak to the modern reader in today’s language.