For almost four decades, Austrian Chancellor Prince K.-V.-L. Metternich (1773-1859) was one of the main characters in the European political scene. He was the "principal director" of the famous Congress of Vienna in 1815 and was called the "first minister of Europe." The time from 1815 to 1848 is still spoken of as the Metternich era. The most interesting episodes of the prince's biography include his unambiguous relationship with Napoleon. His relations with the Russian emperors Alexander I and Nicholas I are also saturated with dramatic collisions. Not only politics, but also love connected the prince with Russia. Biron's granddaughter, Bagration's wife, Benckendorf's sister - such is the bouquet of heroines of Russian novels of the loving prince.