November 5, 2018 (2018-11-05) – March 29, 2019 (2019-03-29)
Godunov (Russian: Годуно́в) is a Russian historical drama television series created by Ilya Tikin and Nikolay Borisov, directed by Alexei Andrianov and Timur Alpatov.[1][2] The first season premiered from November 5 to November 8, 2018 on the "Russia-1" national TV channel. The second season premiered from March 25 to March 29, 2019.[3]
The creators based themselves upon the novel-chronicle "Shipwreck near the Island of Hope" (1978, not translated) by historical novelist Konstantin Badygin.[7] The novel tells the story of Boris Godunov's rise to power and the struggle of the powerful Stroganov family with the background of English merchants trying to establish privileged trade relations.[8] The authors slightly changed the storylines, simplifying them and replacing some of the characters.[9] Nonetheless, most of the characters are strictly historical. 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]
Plot
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 TsarBoris 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.[13]
Season One covers the historical period from the last years of Tsar Ivan the Terrible's reign until the coronation of Boris Godunov in 1598.[14] Season Two's first four episodes cover the 7-year long reign of Tsar Boris, marked by a two-year famine and the enmity of the Boyars who disliked the Tsar because "he wasn't one of them" whilst he sought to curb their power.
After Tsar Boris's death in 1605, eight more years of troubles follow, that will witness five successive rulers, including two impostors, seizing power. The series ends with the successful resistance of the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius monastery withstanding a celebrated 16-month Polish-Lithuanian historical siege.[15]
