The last years of the reign of Ivan the Terrible. The Russian kingdom, surrounded by enemies, is on the verge of destruction. The Poles and Swedes capture one city after another, and the sovereign is trying to end the protracted Livonian War at any cost. For this reason, he called the papal ambassador Possevino to him, so that he could reconcile John with his enemies. But the legate has his own mission - to convert Russia to Catholicism. How to protect your land and faith from the attacks of enemies when your strength and life itself are already running out? Meanwhile, a Cossack detachment under the command of Ermak sails along the Ural rivers to the Siberian land in order, without even knowing it, to bring the sovereign his last victory and remain forever in the people's memory. This book is a continuation of the novel “Ashes of the Power,” previously published in the same series, and completes the story of the era of Ivan the Terrible.