Russia Is Young (Season 1)

Russia Is Young (1984) is a Soviet historical series you can watch online on iFILM, directed by Ilya Gurin and adapted from Yuri German's novel about the early years of Peter the Great's reign — when Russia was building its first real naval force from scratch.

Three men from the northern port of Arkhangelsk carry the story: Captain Ievlev (Dmitry Zolotukhin), Lieutenant Krykov (Boris Nevzorov), and helmsman Ivan Ryabov (Alexander Fatyushin). Peter I trusts them to hold the coast and assemble a fleet before the Swedish navy arrives in force. Shot on location along the White Sea, the eight-part series gives their task the weight it deserves — this is not a war already won, it is a country still figuring out how to fight one. Oleg Borisov and Vladislav Strzhelchik add further gravity in supporting roles.

Yuri German spent over a decade on the source novel, and the series carries that seriousness of purpose — less about individual battles than about a nation assembling itself under pressure. Stream all episodes of Russia Is Young on iFILM.