Historian Klim Zhukov and blogger Dmitry Goblin Puchkov have announced a new show titled Time of Troubles, developed in partnership with Cyberia Nova studio, the creators behind the Russian video game Troubles. Reports from the industry portal note the collaboration.
The series focuses on Russia’s late 16th to early 17th century—a period marked by political upheaval and conflict with Poland. Zhukov and Puchkov plan to explore the factors that sparked the Time of Troubles, the era’s weaponry, and the prevailing moral climate among the people of that era.
Time of Troubles will unfold across multiple episodes, created in collaboration with the Cyberia Nova game studio. The team behind the game Smuta contributed artworks and animations to the project, ensuring stylistic coherence between the show and the game visuals.
While a release date has not been announced, a teaser exists on Klim Zhukov’s YouTube channel. Within a short time after posting, the teaser accumulated significant engagement, including thousands of views and likes and hundreds of comments, indicating strong audience interest. [citation]
The project exemplifies a growing trend where historians team with game developers to present history through multimedia formats, combining scholarly insights with immersive visual storytelling. [citation]
In addition to deliverables on screen, the project invites audiences to explore the rich material culture of the Time of Troubles period, including armor, weaponry, and daily life practices that shaped decisions at the time. The aim is to provide a nuanced, accessible entry point for viewers curious about this pivotal era in Russian history. [citation]