Stolen Happiness

Adapted from the opera written by the composer Semen Hulak-Artemovsky.

A dramatization of the 1919 defense of Petrograd, focusing on Bolshevik leadership and the defeat of White Army forces during the Russian Civil War.

Growing up in a Ukrainian peasant family, knowing all hardships of serf life, young artist and poet Taras Shevchenko in the years of study clearly identifies the meaning of true art, which is to serve the interests of the people. The poems of Shevchenko are imbued with love for the common people. Fiery freedom-loving creativity of Taras Shevchenko is known throughout Russia. Nicholas I exiles the poet to the distant Caspian fort where he is to serve as an ordinary soldier and is banned from writing or drawing. In the poet's difficult days he has the support of Ukrainian soldier Skobelev, Polish revolutionary Sierakowski, captain Kosarev and the commandant of the fortress, Uskov. For the sake of his release Chernyshevsky and Dobrolyubov are hard at work. And so, the sick and aged Shevchenko is finally free. Together with Chernyshevsky and Dobrolyubov, he dreams of a bright future of the motherland, when the Russian and Ukrainian peoples throw off the chains of slavery.

A young man, Ivan, is forcefully mobilised and sent to fight in the Caucasian War as a soldier of the Russian Empire by his landlord, leaving his wife behind. In the Caucasus, Ivas experiences the fierce local resistance to the Russian military, and returns home to launch an uprising against the Russian government.

Herasym Kalytka, dreams of hundred thousand rubles to buy as much as possible land. For this purpose he decides to buy notes from the forger. But the forger palmed off to the Kalytka blank papaers instead of banknotes.

A spectacle version of Ivan Franko Theater, based on “The Candle of Fun” by Ivan Kocherga.

The main film character, an ordinary peasant Martyn Borylya, decided to get a noble order. Having chosen a little and primitive aim, in the chase of the artificial values, he loses everything.