Lucian. Selected Atheistic Works (Lukian. Izbrannye ateisticheskie proizvedeniya), 1955. In Russian.

Лукиан. Избранные атеистические произведения / Серия: Научно-атеистическая библиотека; вступительная статья и редакция А. П. Каждана; отв. ред. В. Д. Бонч-Бруевич.
Москва: Академия наук СССР, 1955.
336 с. ; 20 см. Твердый переплет. Обычный формат.
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Lucian. Selected Atheistic Works / Series: Scientific Atheist Library; introductory article and editing by A. P. Kazhdan; executive editor Dr. V. D. Bonch-Bruevich.
Moscow: Academy of Sciences of the USSR, 1955.
336 pp. ; 20 cm. Hardcover. Standard format.

This specialized collection from the "Scientific Atheist Library" series highlights the subversive philosophical legacy of Lucian of Samosata (c. 120–180 AD), the Syrian-born satirist of the Roman era. The text provides a deep dive into the internal logic of Lucian’s critique of paganism and religious superstition, including the arrangement of his most celebrated dialogues such as "Dialogues of the Gods," "Prometheus," and "Dialogues of the Dead." Edited by the renowned Byzantinist Alexander Kazhdan and overseen by the prominent revolutionary and historian Vladimir Bonch-Bruevich, the volume frames Lucian’s biting wit as a precursor to modern rationalism. By lampooning the Olympian pantheon and the hypocrisy of the priestly caste, Lucian’s works serve as a vital primary source for the study of ancient skepticism and the secular intellectual traditions that challenged the spiritual hegemony of the late Roman Empire.
The 1955 edition by the Academy of Sciences of the USSR is a notable artifact of Soviet classical scholarship, combining ideological framing with high academic rigor. Beyond the core dialogues, the book contains extensive scholarly commentary and a comprehensive mythological dictionary, which were essential for navigating the complex allegorical world of the Second Sophistic. This hardcover volume documents the specific pedagogical approach of the post-war era, where classical authors were reclaimed as allies in the struggle for a scientific worldview. For bibliophiles, historians of philosophy, and collectors of Soviet academic imprints, this work is a definitive example of how ancient Greek satire was utilized to construct the history of free thought.