Richard Pipes' new work is a biographical essay dedicated to Count Sergei Semyonovich Uvarov, one of the leading Russian statesmen of the first half of the 19th century. The personality of this man was misinterpreted by historians for a long time, and his contribution to the development of Russian culture was systematically underestimated. In the interpretation of the American historian, Uvarov appears not to be a reactionary, but rather a liberal conservative. Considering monarchical power to be the only possible form of government for Russia, the creator of the triad “Orthodoxy - autocracy - nationality” believed that it was impossible to hold Russia by force alone, and enlightenment and education would eventually relieve the state of the need to use repression. Uvarov, as the author proves, relying on a wide range of sources, “was one of the most effective ministers of the Russian Empire of the 19th century, a man who did more to improve the culture of his country than anyone else.”