Russian rulers throughout the 16th and 17th centuries chose their wives using a complex ritual known as the viewing of brides. The most beautiful girls of Muscovy, who belonged to the stratum of the provincial nobility, were taken to Moscow, where the tsar's trusted representatives - courtiers and boyars - assessed their physical health, spiritual qualities, appearance and virtues. The applicants who had passed the preliminary selection were then presented to the tsar, who made the final choice. How did the boyars select the “right” bride candidates and eliminate the undesirable ones? How many wives did Ivan the Terrible actually have? How did the bride parade construct the image of autocracy and at the same time serve as a mechanism limiting it? Answering these questions, the book by American historian Russell Martin tells not only about boyar conspiracies, but also about the complex collective nature of monarchical power. Russell Martin is a professor and dean of the history department at Westminster College (USA).