本片是導演緬里尼可夫「俄羅斯十八世紀王朝」三部曲中的最後一部，背景是在彼得大帝以及凱薩琳女皇當政，將俄羅斯終結中古世紀、全盤西化後，領導無方、後續無力的一段動盪時期。

Lenfilm's most recent major production spins a kind of historical fantasy based on real incidents that's full of ominous implications for today. One night, a patrol rushes into the chambers of the Russian prince Pavel, son of the Empress Catherine; the Empress has died, and Pavel is to be anointed the new Tsar. Thought to be feeble-minded at best and crazy at worst, Pavel soon lives up to his enemies' fears: he dismisses long-serving courtiers, demands that peasants only work three days a week, and declares that state officials should start their days at 5 am. Soon, it seems that everyone who can is trying to hatch some kind of plot against him - including his own sons. Sumptuously designed, POOR POOR PAVEL constrasts the imperial splendor of the court with the sordid atmosphere of conspiracies and backstabbing that comes to define these characters' lives.

Историческая драма по пьесе Д. Мережковского «Павел I». Трагическая история Российского императора, Магистра Мальтийского ордена Павла I, павшего жертвой заговора своих приближенных. Павел I, который стремился объединить православную и католическую ветви христианства – одна из самых загадочных и ярких фигур российской истории.