The events described in the novel take place in two countries – Russia and the United States. The choice of these countries is not accidental. The United States is a country of immigrants, where a family of the elder brother duke Alexander Ukhtomskiy has found refuge and solace after long wanderings. It was his descendants who accidentally stumble on an old, almost a century-old family photo of Ukhtomskiy dukes and then begin searching for relatives in distant Russia.
The novel is set in the north-east of the United States, in Washington State, the city of Everett, where the family of duke Alexander’s grandson lives, as well as in Seattle. The action takes place in present times.