The famous book of the doctor of historical sciences N. I. Pavlenko is a continuation of his works "Peter I," "A. D. Menshikov." Inside you will find historical portraits of four main associates of Peter I: B.P. Sheremetev, the first combat field marshal, P.A. Tolstoy, statesman and diplomat, A.V. Makarov, cabinet secretary of the emperor, and S.L. Vladislavich-Raguzinsky, a native of Serbia, a secret agent of Russia and an entrepreneur. All of them in their own way made an invaluable contribution to the formation of Russia. The book was collected by the author on the basis of archival materials. However, a work has been written in the scientific and artistic genre, so it will be of interest to both specialists and everyone who is interested in the history of Russia.