There are several fatal forks in the history of Russia. March-April 1881, marked by the death of Alexander II and the ascension to the throne of Alexander III, is one of them. The reconstruction of this key moment in Russian history is important for us to understand why we ended up where we ended up. We are not interested in the venerable Russian genre “Who is to blame?” No one is to blame, everyone wanted what was best. We are occupied with the question “Who is right?” then and, most importantly, today. Having found the answer, we can finally ask the next cardinal question: “What to do?” Boris Akunin’s drama “1881” is plot-related with the novel “The Road to Kitezh,” which is part of the “History of the Russian State” project. The play is published with the author's comments for the director.