The textbook introduces the artistic culture of Europe, Asia, Africa, America from primitive to the Middle Ages. The emphasis is on the most iconic monuments of architecture, fine art, music. The oldest layer of culture is represented by monuments, the architecture and decor of which reflect a myth key to mythological consciousness in each cultural area. Western European culture is shown as a history of styles, from early Christianity to Ars nova. Russian culture is seen as a unique phenomenon in the context of Western European culture. Much attention is paid to the disclosure of the content and meaning of mythological and religious subjects, as well as the aesthetic assessment of the work.