Alexander Ilyich Antonov (1924-2009) was born on the Volga in the city of Rybinsk. He began publishing in 1953. He worked for many newspapers and magazines. Member of the Union of Journalists and the Union of Writers of the Russian Federation. In 1973, his first story, “The Polar Snows Are Calling,” was published. Since the beginning of the 80s, Antonov has been writing historical prose. He is the author of the novels “The Great Sovereign”, “Princes of Faith”, “The Honor of the Governor”, “The Russian Queen”, “The Empress under the White Veil” and many other historical works; laureate of the All-Russian Literary Prize "Tradition" for 2003. This book publishes the novel "The Great Sovereign", which tells about the events of the Time of Troubles in Rus' at the beginning of the 17th century. At the center of the story is the personality of the Patriarch of All Rus' Filaret, in the world of the boyar Fyodor Romanov, the father of Mikhail - the first Russian Tsar of the Romanov family. He was not only a major religious and statesman, but also a man who lived a life full of dangers and adventures.