The proposed essay is a continuation of the book by N. I. Pavlenko "Peter the First." The focus of this book is the era of transformations in Russia in the first quarter of the 18th century. Its hero is the closest associate of Peter I, A. D. Menshikov, an indispensable participant and executor of the tsar's most important transformative undertakings. Nature awarded Menshikov's nugget with the talents of a commander and a magnificent organizer. In private life, he was the caring head of the family. But along with this, he possessed unlimited greed and unbridled vanity. Ultimately, the "semi-sovereign lord" ended his life in exile.