The historical novel by the famous St. Petersburg writer Nikolai Konyaev resurrects the events of three hundred years ago - the time of the church schism. The author explores the true causes of this national tragedy, destroys the stereotypes imposed by the ideology of past years. N. Konyaev’s book, being the result of a careful study of archival documents, is a rare example of a vividly written, fascinating and at the same time educational historical chronicle.