Grand Embassy

Russia’s journey from an antiquated backwater to a modern state began late in the 17th century when the country's 6’7”, 25 year old Tsar, Peter Romanov, left Moscow at the head of a Grand Embassy of 250 nobles and workers. Peter's ambition was to discover the ways of the West that would help Russia to become a competitive country in an increasing competitive world. But not one of the hard drinking Russians wanted to ride West. Except two. While Peter looked for innovations and inventions to modernize his country, Anatoli Berifkin and Nataiya Larianova searched for opportunities that would allow them to join the business class — their only route to wealth and influence. The Grand Embassy is the story of an ambitious leader’s intent to cajole his unwilling subjects to embrace the progressive ways of the West so he could lead his country into the future. And it is a story about his two ambitious workers. If Anatoli Berifkin and Nataiya Larianova could succeed, Russia herself had a chance.