Helen Semler was born to Russian parents who fled from the Bolshevik revolution to Yugoslavia. She completed her high school education in the United States and graduated from Georgetown University with a degree in sociology. She continued her education with the study of iconography and Russian history, and also became fluent in six languages.

Helen Semler began researching this book in 1962 when she lived in Moscow with her husband, an American diplomat. Her background-- including an intimate familiarity with Russian heritage, fluency in Russian, and statues as the wife of an American diplomat-- provided both advantages and disadvantages in a country that was highly antagonistic toward and suspicious of foreigners.

A meticulous scholar, Ms. Semler rediscovered the forgotten glory of Moscow and its unique role in Russian civilization. In this guide, she resurrects the characters of the builders, creators, clergy and players in the tsar's court.