The book of E.V. Sakharov is devoted to the analysis of event parallels between the stories of the Russian state and the Roman Empire. The author substantiates the conclusion about the phantom of Russian history before Vladimir Monomakh and the reflection in it of the real events of the history of the Roman Empire and proves that the Russian princes of the Monomakh dynasty are descendants of Prus, a relative of the Roman emperor Octavian Augustus, which confirms the validity of the version of the origin of the Russian princely and royal dynasty from Augustus contained in the "Tale of the Princes of Vladimir." The appearance of phantom history in Russian chronicles was associated, according to the author, with the political interests of the dynasty of Moscow Grand Dukes and Tsars of the XV-XVI centuries. in strengthening the justification of their rights and claims to royal dignity. The author also addresses the issue of the phantom of the medieval states of Bulgaria, Hungary and Norway, in the composition of the stories of which event parallels with the annalistic version of Old Russian history are found.