The article written by the co-chairmen of the First St. Petersburg Congress on Autoimmunity "Bridge between East and West", held in St. Petersburg State University June 30-July 2, 2017 describes this event and gives an overview of the main lectures and discussions during the Congress. The latest data on the role of diet, adjuvants, vaccines, viruses and microbiome, on genetic factors, stress, smoking, lifestyle, drugs - in etiology, as well as the role of lymphocytes, macrophages, various autoantibodies, complement and cytokines - in the pathogenesis and diagnosis of autoimmune diseases were discussed. The congress discussed their comorbidity, ways of treatment and prevention, markers, methodology and contribution of serological tests in the diagnosis and classification of autoimmune diseases. Current data on physiological autoimmunity, as well as the early predictive role of autoantibodies were described. The participants performed philosophical discussions about immunological concepts, and organizational discussions of the standardization of diagnostics and the principles of working with large databases, as applied to this field. The programme included Clinical Pathophysiology все of various autoimmune rheumatologic, psycho-neurological, endocrine, cardiovascular, obstetric-gynecological and many other diseases. The authors conclude that the rapid formation of Autoimmunology as a new integral medical branch happens nowadays (9 figs, bibliography: 69 refs).