The Grand Duke of All Rus' Vasily the Third, without waiting for an heir from his wife Solomonia, exiles his hateful wife to a monastery. The new empress, the Lithuanian princess Elena Glinskaya, justified Vasily’s hopes and gave birth to his long-awaited son, who later received world fame under the name of Ivan IV the Terrible. Family happiness, however, did not last long, Vasily the Third dies from a witchcraft spell. The fragile widow and her young son, the heir to the throne, are trying remove the rebellious boyars and brothers of the late sovereign from power. Military power, bribery, and the most effective weapon of that time - evil spirits are used. Elena's favorite - the powerful nobleman and famous governor Ivan Fedorovich Ovchina-Telepnev-Obolensky - stands up to defend the throne. The fight for the Kremlin goes on with varying success.