This review describes the concept and content of a collection of articles authored by Western specialists in antiquity and the history of the early Middle Ages analysing the peculiarities of development and functioning of mostly chronological and cultural realities of the Mediterranean civilization between the 3rd and 8th centuries AD. The reviewer points out the relevance of the topic as part of the scope of issues considered. He also emphasises the debatable character of solutions proposed by the authors for a number of questions which have to do with manifestations of self-sufficiency and civilizational stability of late antiquity during the process of Christianisation and the world’s familiarisation with the heritage of antiquity between the 7th and 8th centuries. The review focuses on the articles that contradict the problem put forward at the 22nd Congress of Historical Studies but focusing on narrow albeit interesting questions of history of the civilization of late antiquity.