The memoirs of Miriel Buchanan (1886-1959), the daughter of the last British ambassador to the Russian Empire, George Buchanan, known to Russian readers for his memoirs, are dedicated to the events of the eight years preceding the revolution. In the first part of the book, the author describes his arrival in St. Petersburg in the autumn of 1910, acquaintance with the imperial family, representatives of high society and members of the diplomatic corps. Miriel, who performed "secular duties" of the diplomatic service on behalf of her father, tells not only about life at court, balls and receptions, but also about the peculiarities of "Russian life": holidays, traditions, everyday life of ordinary people, the status of women, as well as about the political situation in the country on the eve of the First World War. The second part of the book tells about the dramatic events that accelerated the fall of a great power: the murder of Rasputin, a series of uprisings and coups, the execution of the royal family, after which the ambassador's family was forced to leave the country forever. Miriel Buchanan's memoirs are published in Russia for the first time.