Sophia, Regent of Russia, 1657-1704

Sophia Alekseevna, the half-sister of Peter the great, was the first woman to rule Russia. In 1682, following a dynastic crisis that left Russia without a mature male ruler, ten-year-old Peter and his mentally retarded brother Ivan were declared joint tsars with twenty-five year old Sophia as their regent. The regency survived for seven years until Sophia was ousted by Peter and dispatched to a convent for the last fifteen years of her life. This book not only offers a vivid portrayal of a remarkable woman but also sheds new light on an obscure and fascinating period of Russian history.