G.I. Gurdjieff was born in 1877 of Greek and Armenian parentage in Alexandropol, Armenia. He grew up in the Caucasus amid intermingling of numerous ancient cultures and races. From an early age he was driven by questions related to man’s purpose on Earth and soon discovered that representatives of neither science or religion were able to answer his questions. He became convinced at a young age that ancient knowledge must have existed, been handed down through the generations and still could be found.

In 1912, after twenty years of search in remote Central Asia and the Near East, he appeared in Russia with a complete teaching about man’s inner slavery and his possible individual evolution. Gathering a few people around him, he began the Work of passing on his teaching, which he did for the remainder of his life.