In 2027, our country fenced itself off from other states with the Great Russian Wall. The tsar is again at the head of the state, class division has been restored, xenophobia, protectionism and permissiveness of the punitive organs are flourishing in the world. And on Lubyanka, instead of the monument to Dzerzhinsky, a monument to Malyuta Skuratov appeared.

The plot describes one day of a high-ranking oprichnik - a servant of the sovereign. And, judging by the description, our country has fallen into some kind of phantasmagoric New Middle Ages.

Critics call Sorokin a prophet of the 21st century. This modern writer notices negative trends that, if you believe his story, can lead to very sad consequences for our country and its population.

In 2013, the story "Day of the Oprichnik" was shortlisted for the International Booker Prize.