[3] The series tells the story of historical events covering the years 1580 to 1613, from the late reign of Ivan the Terrible (1530-1584), the first Tsar of all Rus', until the ascension to the Russian throne of Mikhail I Romanov (1598-1645).
The score was written and orchestrated by renowned Kazakh composer Artem Vasilyev[10][11] The series is currently available on Region 1 DVD (in Russian with English subtitles) and on Amazon's Prime Video.
[12] Russia, around the year 1600: The mysterious death of the rightful heir Dmitry of Uglich ends the rule of the Rurik dynasty, leading to a power struggle.
The ambiguous Tsar Boris Godunov's rise to power meets with deceitful conspiracies by the Russian aristocrats, the "Boyars"; the destruction of his whole family and the troubled years that follow are unveiled in this major saga, featuring excellent period reconstructions, accurate historicity, costumes, and top-notch acting.
The series ends with the successful resistance of the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius monastery withstanding a celebrated 16-month Polish-Lithuanian historical siege.