The book of S. S. Tatishchev is one of the classic works on the history of Russian diplomacy, it is based on official sources, diplomatic documents. It shows that it was the emperor who was the key figure in Russian foreign policy. According to the author, the blame for the failure of the foreign policy of Nicholas I, which ended with the defeat of Russia in the Crimean War, lies with the sovereign's diplomats and advisers, who, being mainly foreigners, representatives of other peoples and confessions, were alien to the interests of Russia. At all times, S. S. Tatishchev considers the problem of Russia to be the lack of nationally oriented diplomatic personnel that could replace "the most diverse foreign elements."