Valentyna Kovalska

Folk comedy that tells the adventures of Ukrainian cossacks Vasyl and Andriy as they set out on a long journey to deliver a letter from their leader to the Russian empress in St. Petersburg.

The theme of the film is the essence of the Ukrainian song as the cradle of the Ukrainian people, the whole nation. Its depth, the antiquity of its history. The film also tells the tragic story of the brilliant folk opera “When the Fern Blossoms“. This opera, together with the Veriovka Choir, was created by the world-renowned composer Yevhen Stankovych, our contemporary. However, the Soviet government of the time was afraid of Ukrainian song and banned the opera, breaking the set. The film features excerpts from the opera performed by the choir, as well as testimonies from the authors and performers about the work.

The first movie about the actor who became the creator and symbol of Ukrainian poetic cinema Ivan Mykolaichuk, released 2 years after his death.