The new novel by the famous writer-historian R. Gordin is dedicated to the life and work of one of the closest associates of Peter the Great, “the first minister of Russian diplomacy,” Admiral General Fyodor Alekseevich Golovin (1650-1706). A descendant of an old noble family, Fyodor Alekseevich Golovin was an active supporter of all the undertakings of Peter I, participated in the Azov campaigns, headed the Naval and other orders, led Russian foreign policy, creating a system of permanent missions in European capitals. The Tsar often called Golovin his “good friend” and, announcing his death in a letter, signed “Peter filled with sadness.”