There are certain periods in Russian history that stand out from others due to their rich concentration of bright events, outstanding personalities, and sharp turns that were of fateful significance for the future of Russia. This is the last thirty years of the 15th century. This is the time of the break with Horde dependence and the loss of Novgorod freedom, brutal internal strife and an unprecedented expansion of external relations, the marriage of the Moscow sovereign with a Byzantine princess and a protracted dynastic crisis. This is a time of intense spiritual quest, fierce ideological disputes, and intricate court intrigues. A time full of paradoxes, when the expectation of Judgment Day was combined with a premonition of the great future of Russia, and the growth of national self-awareness was combined with the active involvement of European technologies, specialists, and ideas. And another paradox is the reign of Ivan III, one of the most studied periods, beloved by medievalists, which at the same time contains more questions than answers. The historian and journalist M. Zarezin reflects on these mysteries on the pages of his book.