Gypsies. Shakespeare Street

A successful Moscow lawyer’s carefully constructed life collapses when a woman from his past reappears — his first love, Diana, the daughter of a Roma baron. She asks him to free their daughter, Yana, from prison, promising to disappear afterward and keep his secret forever. The secret is that “Mikhail” is not who he claims to be. Sixteen years earlier, he was known as Mikhai Demetr, a Roma boy expelled from his camp and torn away from his family. Forced to return to the world he abandoned, Mikhai must confront his past, save a daughter he never knew existed, and decide where he truly belongs — in Moscow or among his people.

The story is built around dual identity, a theme that runs through every episode. The protagonist’s life in Moscow and his past in the Roma camp are not portrayed as “good vs. bad,” but as two worlds with different values, neither of which offers an easy escape.

Many scenes set in the camp emphasize collective decision-making rather than individual heroism. This contrasts sharply with the protagonist’s Moscow life, where success is built on personal ambition and isolation.

The character of the Roma baron is written without simple villain clichés. He is shown as both a protector of tradition and a destructive figure, highlighting how authority inside closed communities can be both stabilizing and deadly.

The title Shakespeare Street is symbolic rather than geographical. It reflects the series’ dramatic structure, which often resembles classical tragedy: hidden origins, fatal secrets, family loyalty, and inevitable moral reckoning.

Polina Gukhman