A painting from a provincial museum, which turned out to be a portal, sent Denis Antonov hundreds of years in the past, in the era of Peter the Great, placing him in the guise of a barefoot boy, Aleksashka Menshikov. In search of a way home, he plunged headlong into the abyss of cruel trials, becoming a reliable adviser and faithful friend for the future Russian emperor. With Denis's light hand, rapid-fire muskets and tear grenades appeared in the Russian army, and a formidable battleship with a battery of powder missiles in service became part of the fleet. He is promoted to lieutenant of the Preobrazhensky regiment, they promise the title. Providence itself seemed to favor him. However, a damned picture reappears on his way...