Something similar to "stir up/kick hornets' nest"

Question

stir up hornets' nest -- is an idiom similar to what I want. The difference is that I want something like with the meaning "break the order that's been around for a long time". Not necessarily cause a trouble. In russian it's "разворошить муравейник".

Answer 1

To send tremors through , send shockwaves through, or cause a seismic shift are metaphors that express the same intended meaning as the metaphor to disturb an anthill (your Russian phrase) or the metaphor to disturb a hornet nest, but more on a scale that humans can appreciate.

Both phrases (and other earthquake related phrases) are used to describe a tremendous change or shakeup (mentioned in another answer) in the current order.

Answer 2

create a paradigm shift. This term was first used in the philosophy of science. Wikipedia, paradigm shift says:

A paradigm shift, a concept identified by the American physicist and philosopher Thomas Kuhn (1922–1996), is a fundamental change in the basic concepts and experimental practices of a scientific discipline. Kuhn contrasted these shifts, which characterize a scientific revolution, to the activity of normal science, which he described as scientific work done within a prevailing framework (or paradigm).

The term has since been used to announce a fundamental change in anything, and so has lost some of its power. Some examples:

From the World Health Organization, Special Programme for Research & Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR) sponsored by U N I C E F / U N D P / W o r l d B a n k / W H O: Making a paradigm shift -- The Bamako 2008 Global Ministerial Forum on Research for Health

This could be a legitimate use of the term, depending on how revolutionary the results from the Forum were. The next example illustrates how pop psychology has co-opted the term:

Happiness in Four Essential Paradigm Shifts, by Dr. Gail Brenner .... A paradigm shift is a revolution, a complete, radical change in how one views reality. With a paradigm shift, old assumptions and beliefs are seen to be false and no longer applicable, and a completely new, fresh way of being takes their place. Do you want to be happy? Consider the following, and prepare for the inner revolution

Finally (although I could cite many more examples), there is a journal entitled New Paradigm. This journal announced a Shifting Paradigms Conference:

The Shifting Paradigms Conference has the purpose of speaking for and enhancing the change in values and attitudes of human beings through an ongoing, open, informed, articulate debate and dialogue on key issues affecting the future of humankind.

Answer 3

TFD(idioms):

shake up something (also shake something up)
to cause big changes in a situation or organization

The company announced that it would shake up top management and cut 1,000 jobs.
Every new boss likes to shake things up a bit when they take over.

Cambridge Dictionary of American Idioms Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2003. Reproduced with permission.