The Vendian System summarizes the result of detailed studies carried out over 30 years at the Precambrian-Phanerozoic boundary of the Russian platform and adjacent areas. The paleontological material collected in some of the world's richest locations is unique. The reader will find a wealth of information on paleontological data as well as on stratigraphic and regional correlations, vital for the understanding of organic evolution around 600 million years ago. Volume 1 contains the systematic description and documentation of the paleontological data. In Volume 2 the regional geological background is described and a general interpretation is given.