The withdrawal of Patriarch Nikon from the leadership of the Russian Orthodox Church in 1658 caused a crisis in the Church as well as a political crisis. The Patriarch played an important role in the country’s governance, advocating certain policies on foreign policy orientation. There was a group of influential boyars in Moscow who wanted the patriarch to re-establish his post. They used Nikita Zuzin to convey messages to Nikon. The attempt of reconciliation with the ruler proved unsuccessful. The investigation concluded that Zuzin fulfilled the orders of influential people. Tzar Aleksey imposed little and relatively soft penalties. Nikita Zuzin’s plot is an important element in the opposition between the secular and spiritual power in Russia in the middle of the 17th century.