The action of the novel takes place against the background of the preparation and consequences of the Decembrist uprising. The metropolitan aristocracy is politicized, and the air of freedom is blowing from Europe. But... the Decembrists are terribly far from the people, and they themselves poorly understand their goals and objectives. The heroes argue about the fate of the Motherland, fall in love, part forever, only to meet by chance later, get married and divorced... You will find here stories about duels, balls, women's fashion, the peculiarities of Russian liberalism. In 1825, on the eve of the Decembrist uprising, Princess Polina Velskaya, a graduate of the boarding school noble maidens, comes to St. Petersburg and prepares for the beginning of social life. But in vain the future seems cloudless to her. It turns out that the beloved brother has joined a secret society, and in addition is going to fight a duel with a dangerous opponent. In such an environment, it is no wonder not to hear the voice of the heart and fall into a trap set by insidious intriguers... Only a miracle or love can save the heroine.