The nineteenth century is fading into the past—gallant, bloody, hungry… What awaits the Russian Empire at the turning point of time, what kind of country it will become in the new century? The stone of change that Prince Agrenyev set in motion with his actions is gaining momentum and weight, nudging yet more and more little pebbles of change out of place. They are still insignificant and almost unnoticeable—yet it is already clear that soon they will merge into an unstoppable flow, to ride which will not be easy…