The Polish Queen; The Guardian

Alexander Ivanovich Krasnitsky (1866-1917), who published under dozens of pseudonyms, one of the most famous being A. I. Lavintsev, was a prolific Russian writer, journalist, playwright, and poet. He worked for major St. Petersburg newspapers and magazines, and for a long time his main publisher was A. A. Kaspari's Rodina. Krasnitsky wrote about a hundred novels, primarily historical, as well as numerous short stories, plays, and poems, which enjoyed widespread popularity among his contemporaries.
This volume includes two historical novels dedicated to female characters from the Romanov royal house. "The Polish Tsarina" depicts the fate of Agafya Semyonovna Grushetskaya, the wife of Tsar Feodor Alexeevich, whose short life at court was marked by drama and personal tragedy. In "The Guardian," the author focuses on the figure of Tsarevna Sophia Alexeyevna, who, after the death of her brother Feodor, became regent for the young Ivan and Peter, and effectively ruled Russia for seven years.
By combining documentary sources with fiction, Krasnitsky creates evocative images of women whose destinies were closely linked to the turning points in Russian history in the 17th century. These works not only bring the pages of the past to life but also demonstrate the strength of character and the influence of women in the fate of the state.