In the novel “The Basurman” by the famous historical novelist Ivan Lazhechnikov, the story of the 15th century is told—during the reign of Ivan III—about the growing relations of the Moscow state with the East and the West. Following romantic traditions, I. I. Lazhechnikov places fictional heroes at the center of the narrative, yet, being drawn into the whirlpool of history and coming into direct contact with real historical figures, they bear the mark of their era and the color of their time.
The events of “The Basurman” begin with the sending off to Moscow of Anton Ehrenstein, a baron by origin, who is invited to serve as a physician to Grand Prince Ioann III. But how did the son of a nobleman become a doctor in the 15th century, when “the Inquisition of these worldwide outcasts burned thousands”?