Writer and journalist Andrei Efimovich Zarin (1863–1929) was born in the German colony near St. Petersburg. Graduated from the Vilna Real School. In 1888 he began literary and journalistic activities. As editor of Modern Life, in 1906 he was sentenced to imprisonment in a fortress for a year and a half. He is the author of many fascinating and exciting books, including Sweepstakes, Dried Flowers, Satan's Gift, The Living Dead, Losing Honor, A Dark Affair, and several historical novels (Bloody Feast, “Dual power”, “At the breaking point”) and a number of books for young people. In 1922, he acted as a screenwriter for the film “The Miracle Worker.” The novel “At the Breaking Point,” presented in this volume, tells the story of the turbulent events of the mid-17th century. The split of the church, popular uprisings, the reunification of Ukraine with Russia, the war with Poland - these are the main milestones of the reign of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, nicknamed the Quietest.