A painting from a provincial museum, which turned out to be a portal, sent Denis Antonov hundreds of years into the past, into the era of Peter the Great, placing him in the guise of a barefoot boy, Aleksashka Menshikov. In search of the way home, he plunged headlong into the abyss of cruel trials, becoming a reliable adviser and loyal friend for the future Russian emperor. With the light hand of Denis, rapid-fire muskets and tear grenades appeared in the Russian army, and a formidable battleship armed with a battery of gunpowder rockets became part of the fleet. He is promoted to lieutenant of the Preobrazhensky Regiment and is promised a title. It seemed as if providence itself was favoring him. However, the damned picture appears again on his way...