Vyacheslav Ussov’s novel is devoted to one of the dramatic periods of Russian history—the seventies of the 16th century. A sharp, dynamic plot unfolds against the background of the confrontation between the young Russian state and the Crimean Khanate on one side and the West on the other. The novel is a kind of political detective story. The action takes place at the court of Ivan the Terrible. At the center of the narrative is an intelligence service led by Vasily Kolychev. Many intricate threads this extraordinary man was able to unravel: the intrigues of Malyuta Skuratov, the activities of Tatar and Lithuanian intelligence services, and clashes of the powerful interests of boyar and noble factions.