Fyodor Shakhmagonov’s historical novel “Rejoicing and Sorrow” is dedicated to the most important period in the history of Rus' - the period of the reign of Grand Duke Dmitry Ivanovich, who defeated the Tatar-Mongol conquerors on the Kulikovo field. What is the meaning of the great and bloody battle that took place many centuries ago on the Kulikovo field ? Did it become the most important milestone in the struggle of Muscovite Rus' for political independence from the Horde? No, answers F. Shakhmagonov in his novel, convincingly and vividly recreating the prehistory of the battle and the very picture of the battle: at the cost of colossal hardships and sacrifices, Rus' not only defended for itself the right to develop independently, but, in fact, saved European civilization. Having carefully studied the surviving written monuments of the Kulikovo cycle, the author built on their basis a highly artistic series of strong, memorable images of great warriors and ascetics who preserved the Russian land, Holy Rus' for posterity.