Children of Change

Set in Russia in 1995, three half-brothers grow up in the same cramped home, sharing a mother but drifting toward very different lives. Nightclubs, street deals, and sudden violence pull them into the city’s shadow economy, where quick money promises escape but slowly tears the family apart. What begins as ordinary survival turns into a chain of choices that makes it harder and harder to stay brothers at all.

The creators paid a lot of attention to recreating the 1990s atmosphere: set designs included authentic details like old trolleybuses, hand-painted shop signs, and period-appropriate streets to evoke the era’s feel.

The series was created by the team behind other gritty Russian dramas like Chyornaya Vesna and Fisher, and includes cultural references to both Russian criminal cinema and international classics, with some scenes and character touches inspired by real life or other films.

The story reflects real social tensions of the 1990s in Russia, and some character arcs were inspired by real news stories or events from regional newspapers of that time.

The series uses a mix of real songs from the 1990s to evoke the era’s atmosphere — including rock, pop, and synth sounds. Among the artists and tracks featured are: “Tuchi” by Ivanushki International, “Pozovi menya s soboy” (a 90s ballad), Tat’yana Bulanova’s “Ne plach’”. Other songs heard in the series include works by Vladimir Kuz’min, Agata Kristi, Lynda, Sektor Gaza, and more, blending familiar hits with dramatic narrative moments.

Fans have created playlists on platforms like Spotify, collecting many tracks associated with the show’s vibe under titles like “ДЕТИ ПЕРЕМЕН Сериал | Саундтрек,” combining period songs and ambient pieces to reflect the series’ mood.