Marina Mnishek is one of the brightest figures of the Russian Troubles at the beginning of the 17th century. Polka, who became the wife of two impostors and the first Russian "empress" married to the kingdom, she managed to arouse the cruel hatred of her subjects. She was considered the main culprit of all the troubles and misfortunes that fell upon the Russian state, the embodiment of evil, a heretic and even a witch. The author of the book, relying on documents from Russian and Polish archives, tried to give a more balanced portrait of Marina, look at her not so much as a villain, but as a victim of tragic circumstances, and at the same time ask the question: what exactly did this outstanding woman manage to bring to Russian history?