Novyj roman Niny Molevoj posvyaschen Alekseyu Petrovichu Bestuzhevu-Ryuminu (16031796), diplomatu, gosudarstvennomu deyatelyu, opredelyavshemu politiku Rossii v pervoj polovine XVIII v. On nachal svoyu kar"eru pri Petre I, a zakonchil v tsarstvovanie Ekateriny II. Sobytiya v romane razvivayutsya na shirokom istoricheskom fone, avtor sozdaet ne tol"ko yarkie dostovernye obrazy sem"i Bestuzhevykh-Ryuminykh, no i tsarstvennykh osob Anny Ioannovny, Elizavety Petrovny, Ekateriny II Alekseevny.