Emperor Alexander II left a deep mark on Russian history; he managed to do what other autocrats were afraid to undertake - free the peasants from serfdom. The internal and external reforms of Alexander II are comparable in scale only to the transformations of Peter I. The tragic death of the tsar at the hands of terrorists radically changed the further course of history and after 35 years led Russia to the notorious events of the 17th year. Henri Troyat shows readers through the prism of time The lively charm of this subtle, educated and multifaceted man reveals the reasons for such an ambiguous attitude towards him by his contemporaries.