The book is dedicated to an epoch-making foreign policy event in the history of Russia, which has not yet been given due attention by Russian historiography. The author reveals an unconventional view of the fact that the Russian side unleashed the Livonian War, considering it the main political mistake of the Moscow government. And the author’s vision of the nature of that war predetermined the conceptual approach to understanding it, starting with the causes and ending with the final results. The story about military operations itself, like the story about the diplomatic battles that raged throughout the war, although based on well-known facts of history, nevertheless does not agree with the previously established concept that still dominates in historical literature. The author substantiates his vision of the subject with an analysis of the specific situation, and presents the interpretation of the sad ending as a result of the worthlessness of the then Russian leadership. The disastrous outcome of the war is explained by the author as the complete political failure of the Moscow state of that era. For all those interested in Russian history, for university students and history teachers.