About the book: 2003 / The action of this historical novel takes place in Italy in the 15th century, memorable for the greatest tragedy in modern human history - the fall of Constantinople and the end of the Byzantine Empire. Fateful for In Russia, an echo of this catastrophe was the marriage of the Grand Duke of Moscow Ivan III and the Byzantine princess Zoe (Sophia) Paleologus. The main character is a man from the world of secret diplomacy and behind-the-scenes intrigue. It is intrigue that underlies the main events of the novel. Even love and passion are subdued by its rigid expediency. It is not for nothing that in some places the narrative resembles intelligence reports. The core of the plot’s intricacies is the conflict between East and West. And the eternal question: is Russia destined to repeat the fate of Byzantium??