Sophia

This series is not only absolutely gorgeous and fascinating to look at (not just the costumes, but ALL of the sets and even the make-up -- or the authentic-looking lack thereof) but extraordinarily entertaining, intelligently produced, and beautifully acted. Neither American nor British television (including the BBC) has EVER produced anything half this good.

I don't care about historical accuracy (and I disagree with reviewers who say you need to research the history in order to enjoy this series), but I care very much about historical believability, and there is not a single frame or word or movement that feels like anything but 15th century Russia.

There is much thoroughly believable drama, but not ANY melodrama, which is what sets it miles apart from American and even British productions. It's like a time machine, letting me watch these people living their lives as they really lived them more than 500 years ago. It seems so real and so true that I'm amazed when I remember occasionally that these are 21st-century actors only pretending to be historical persons.

This series is really great and I really enjoyed it but it is much more about ivan iii and his mother with a little bit thrown in about Sofia

I thoroughly enjoyed watching this "historical" account of Sophia. It was interesting and beautifully filmed. However, after a while it got bogged down with the Politics vs Religion wars. I also found it telling that the writers put in contemporary slang for something set in the year 1472. For instance, one of the palaces servants says, "I'll bring snacks in a jiffy." No joke, I immediately wrote it down. Then the Prince later says, "when pigs might fly." I guess they wanted to make sure we were still paying attention. I did. Was it purposely done that the Fydor looked like a dead ringer for Lenin? The only reason why I lowered the score is because of the above, but mainly the ongoing and boring wars between the two factions. Yawn.

SOPHIA (2016) was an exceptional Russian historical mini series drama, focusing on the lives of the historical figures of Grand Princess Sophia Palaiologina (played by Mariya Andreeva) and her husband the Grand Prince / Csar Ivan III (played by Evgeniy Tsyganov).

"In 15th Century Russia, the last Byzantine princess, Sophia Palaiologina, moves from Rome to far away Moscow to marry Czar Ivan III. Destined to become the first influential female figure of the Russian Empire, Sophia overcomes court intrigue and betrayals, and helps Ivan consolidate the fragmented country, push Mongolian invaders out, and build the Kremlin, the most magnificent symbol of Russia."

This series was excellent, captivating and visually appealing. The costumes and settings for one were incredible and made the show quite immersive. The cast, especially Princess Sophia (Mariya Andreeva), Czar Ivan III (Evgeniy Tsyganov), Grand Princess Maria Yaroslavna (Nadezhda Markina), and a quite few many others are all excellent and the story was quite intriguing though filled with relevant politics that may be dull to some. Liking historical politics and intrigue, I rather enjoyed it, myself.

On a side note, Evgeniy Tsyganov, who was really great in this role as Prince Ivan III, was also known to me by his previous role in the Russian historical WWII war movie, based on true events about the life of the extraordinary female sniper, Lyudmila Pavlichenko; the movie was called Battle of Sevastopol, a great movie for anyone interested.

Moving on and without spoilers, I will just say I wasn't really satisfied with the last few episodes. It was an alright ending, but not really as powerful as the rest of the series had been. Things just didn't feel very organic or natural but overly dramatized compared to the rest of the series. The other issue for me was an unusual shift that happened somewhere around the mid-point of the series, in which the focus drifted from Sophia being the central character POV to others, namely Ivan but others as well, being the central focus and her feeling more and more like a side character. This weakened the story a bit for me, as it felt that the series treated her as less valuable past a certain point, naturally after having children. *eyeroll*

Other than that, the series was a very nice hidden gem free on Amazon Prime Video. The costumes, settings, and production value, as well as much of the acting, were visually stunning and the story was intriguing. Wish the writing hadn't faltered towards the end. But overall, happy to have watched it. Great period drama focusing on the Russian historical era of Czar Ivan III. I would love to see move Russian series, in this era or others. A great find!

First, I must echo other reviewers-- this is an experience that leaves you longing for more. The plot, complex as it can be, is nevertheless easy to follow and totally engaging. The acting is superb--never did I feel that I was watching "a performance." The characters were far too convincing and complex. The settings capture both the splendor and the squalor of the period.

Do you need to brush up on Russian history first? If you are not familiar with the reign of Ivan III, I suggest watching the series first and learning the facts afterward. Yes, there is much of the epic and the mythic here, but there are also truths transcending accuracy. Critique the historical elements once you have yielded to the world in which the series creates.

Even the subtitles were not bothersome, and unlike many translations, this one was idiomatic and (I think) correct.

Well worth a binge. My sole quibble is that Zoe/Sophia is just too entirely good and "the villain" (unnamed here) just too relentlessly bad. The flaws and virtues of every other character are conveyed, giving the series depth and verisimilitude.

I am no fan or scholar of Russian history, so I was initially reluctant to invest time in the series. Not only did my viewing teach me a lot, however--It made me hungry to learn more.