Taras Bulba is a short historical novel by Nikolai Gogol. It tells the story of an old Cossack, Taras Bulba, and his two sons, Andriy and Ostap. Taras’ sons studied at the Kyiv Academy and came back home. The three men set out on a journey to Zaporizhian Sich located in modern-day Ukraine, where they join other Cossacks and go to war against the Polish nobles. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol (Russian: ; IPA: ; Ukrainian: ) (April 1, 1809 — March 4, 1852) was a Russian-language writer of Ukrainian origin. ... In political geography and international politics, a country is a political division of a geographical entity, a sovereign territory, most commonly associated with the notions of state or nation and government. ... History is often used as a generic term for information about the past, such as in geologic history of the Earth. When used as the name of a field of study, history refers to the study and interpretation of the record of human societies. ... A novel (from French nouvelle Italian novella, new) is an extended, generally fictional narrative, typically in prose. ... A publisher is a person or entity which engages in the act of publishing. ... // Random House is a publishing house based in New York City. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... ISBN-13 represented as EAN-13 bar code (in this case ISBN 978-3-16-148410-0) The International Standard Book Number, ISBN, is a unique[1] commercial book identifier barcode. ... Taras Bulba is a historical novel by Nikolai Gogol, named after its main character. ... Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol (Russian: ; IPA: ; Ukrainian: ) (April 1, 1809 — March 4, 1852) was a Russian-language writer of Ukrainian origin. ... Reply of the Zaporozhian Cossacks to Sultan Mehmed IV of Ottoman Empire. ... Zaporizhian Sich or Zaporozhian Sech (Ukrainian: ,Zaporozka Sich) original Slavonic name Zaporizhska Sich was the center of the Cossacks of Zaporizhzhia. ...

Taras Bulba is Gogol’s longest short story. The work is classical in nature with characters that are not exaggerated or grotesque as was common is Gogol's later work, though his characterizations of Cossacks are said to be a bit exaggerated by some scholars. This story can be understood in the context of the romantic nationalism movement in literature, which developed around a historical ethnic culture which meets the romantic ideal. It has been cited as the seminal work establishing the concept of the "Russian Soul". The story is rich in adventure and battle scenes as well as touches of Gogol’s characteristic humor. This article needs cleanup. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... The term Russian Soul (or great Russian soul - velikaya russkaya dusha) has been used in Russian literature to describe Russian spirituality. ...

In the story, Taras Bulba’s two sons, Ostap and Andriy, return home from the Kiev seminary. Of Taras' sons, Ostap is the adventurous son, true to the Cossack spirit, whereas Andriy has deeply romantic feelings stirring within him. While in Kiev, he fell in love with a young Polish noble girl, the daughter of the Governor of Dubno, but after a few meetings, saw her no longer when her family returned home. Map of Ukraine with Kiev highlighted Coordinates: , Country Ukraine Oblast Kiev City Municipality Raion Municipality Government  - Mayor Leonid Chernovetskyi Elevation 179 m (587 ft) Population (2006)  - City 4,450,968  - Density 3,299/km² (8,544. ... Dubno (Ukrainian: Дубно) is a town in Ukraine, in Rivne Oblast, on the Ikva River. ...

As a Dneiper Cossack, Taras Bulba sets out to give his sons the opportunity to go to war as a Cossack is not a man and does not marry until he has seen combat. Taras and his sons reach the camp of the Cossacks, Zaporizhian Sich, where there is much merrymaking, and Taras works to rouse the Cossacks to go into battle. Taras sets actions underway to replace the existing Ataman when the Ataman is reluctant to break the peace, and works to create the opportunity for combat. Zaporizhian Sich or Zaporozhian Sech (Ukrainian: ,Zaporozka Sich) original Slavonic name Zaporizhska Sich was the center of the Cossacks of Zaporizhzhia. ... Ataman (variants: wataman, vataman, otaman, Cyrillic: атаман (Russian), ватаман (Russian, regional), отаман (Ukrainian)) was a title of Cossack and haidamak leaders of various kinds. ...

Fortunately they soon have the opportunity to fight the Poles, who rule much of western Ukraine to the Dneiper River. The Poles are accused of atrocities, aided by the Jews. After killing many of the Jewish merchants at the Sich in retaliation for their cooperation with the Poles, the Cossacks set off on a campaign into Polish territory. Ultimately they reach Dubno, which they besiege. Surrounded by the Cossacks and short of supplies, the inhabitants begin to starve to death. Length 2,290 km Elevation of the source - m Average discharge 1670 m³/s Area watershed 516,300 km² Origin Russia Mouth Black Sea Basin countries Russia, Belarus, Ukraine The Dnieper River (Russian: Днепр/Dnepr; Belarusian: Дняпро/Dnyapro; Ukrainian: Д&#1085... Dubno (Ukrainian: Дубно) is a town in Ukraine, in Rivne Oblast, on the Ikva River. ...

One night a Tartar woman comes to Andriy and rouses him. He finds her face familiar and then recalls she is the servant of the Polish girl he was in love with from his youth. She advises him all are starving inside the walls. He accompanies her through a secret passage starting in the marsh that goes into the monastery inside the city walls. Andriy brings loaves of bread with him for the starving girl and her mother. He is horrified by what he sees and in a fury of love forsakes his past all for the Polish girl.

Meanwhile, several companies of Polish soldiers march into the village to relieve the siege, passing through and killing or capturing a regiment of Cossacks, who are too drunk to stop them. A number of battles ensue and Taras learns of his son’s forsaking of the Cossack life from Yankel the Jew, who he saved from Cossacks earlier in the story. During one of the final battles, he sees Andriy riding in Polish garb from the castle and has his men draw him to the woods, where he takes him off of his horse. Taras shoots his son Andriy. Taras and Ostap continue fighting and the latter is captured while the former is knocked out.

Taras awakens to a state of delirium and when he regains his composure learns that Ostap was among the Cossacks captured and is in the hands of the Poles. Yankel agrees to take him to Warsaw where Ostap is held captive, hiding Taras in a cart of bricks, which he knows no one will tamper with on their journey. Once there a group of Jews help Yankel to dress Taras as a Jew, and they attempt to go into the prison to see his son. They almost succeed, but a guard recognizes Taras as a Cossack, though they convince him otherwise. Still, he does not let them through and only after being paid 100 gold pieces does he allow them to leave, instructing them to go to the execution the following day if they wish to see the Cossacks. Motto: Contemnit procellas (It defies the storms) Semper invicta (Always invincible) Coordinates: , Country  Poland Voivodeship Masovia Powiat city county Gmina Warszawa Districts 18 boroughs City Rights turn of the 13th century Government  - Mayor Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz (PO) Area  - City 516. ...

During the execution, Ostap, in fine Cossack form, does not make a single sound, even while being broken on the wheel, and only near the end calls out to his father, asking if he “can see this?” Taras calls out that he can, and Yankel turns to him, terrified for him revealing their location, to find that the Cossack has disappeared.

Having lost both of his sons, Taras returns home to find all of his old Cossack friends dead and younger Cossacks in their place; unfazed he goes to war again. The new Ataman wishes to make peace with the Poles, which Taras counsels firmly against, warning that the Poles are treacherous and will not honor their words. Failing to convince the Cossacks, Taras takes his regiment away with him to continue the battle independently. As Taras predicted, once the new Ataman agrees to a truce, the Poles betray the Cossacks and kill a number of them. Taras and his men continue to fight and are finally caught in a ruined fortress, where they battle until the last man is defeated.

Taras is nailed and tied to a tree, which is struck by lighting and set aflame. Even in this state, in true Cossack spirit, Taras calls out to his men to continue the fight, advising them that a Russian Czar is coming who will rule the earth. Defeat and fire are not sufficient to quench his great Russian Soul. The term Russian Soul (or great Russian soul - velikaya russkaya dusha) has been used in Russian literature to describe Russian spirituality. ...

The story ends with Cossacks on the Dniester River who recall the great feats of Taras and his great Cossack spirit. The river Dniestr (in Polish and Russian; Nistru in Romanian; Дністер, Dnister in Ukrainian; Tyras in Latin; also known as Dniester) is a river in Eastern Europe. ...

Film, TV or theatrical adaptations

The story has been made into several films, with varying degrees of success. The first silent adaptation was in 1909, directed by Aleksandr Drankov. The second, a 1935 German production, was directed by a Russian director Alexis Granovsky, with a superb decors by André Andrejew. A third, in 1936, was produced in Britain starring Harry Baur with a supporting cast of significant British actors. Finally the most recent adaptation was made in the US in 1962, starring Yul Brynner and Tony Curtis was directed by J. Lee Thompson. André Andrejew (* January 21, 1887 - † March 13, 1967), was one of the most important art directors of the international cinema of the twentieth century. ... Yul Brynner (July 11, 1920[1] – October 10, 1985) was a Russian-born Broadway and Academy Award-winning Hollywood actor. ... Tony Curtis (born Bernard Schwartz, June 3, 1925) is an American film actor. ... John Lee-Thompson, known as J. Lee Thompson (1 August 1914 - 30 August 2002) was a film director, active in both British films and Hollywood. ...

This latter film featured a signifcant music score by Franz Waxman, which received an Academy Award nomination. It is a score that Bernard Herrmann called "the score of a lifetime". "The Ride to Dubno" has become a standard concert piece and has been recorded many times. "Sleighride" uses Schedryk, the Carol of the Bells as a counterpoint to Waxman's own melody. The finale, an upbeat march, as the Cossacks ride into Dubno is based on a Ukrainian folk song. interestingly, Waxman had borrowed Ukrainian music before. In his setting for Stalag 17, the well-known Ukrainian hopak appears as a motif whenever the Soviet women are on the screen! Franz Waxman (December 24, 1906, Königshütte, Upper Silesia (now Chorzów, Poland) - February 24, 1967, Los Angeles, California), born Franz Wachsmann, was a German-born Jewish-American composer, known for his bravura Carmen Fantasy for violin and orchestra and for his musical scores for films. ... Stalag 17 is a 1953 war film which tells the story of a group of American G.I.s held in a German World War II prisoner of war camp who come to believe one of their number is a traitor. ... Hopak is a Ukrainian folk dance and the corresponding musical style. ...

The story was also made into an opera by Ukrainian composer, Mykola Lysenko. The Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Italy. ... A composer is a person who writes music. ... Mykola Vitaliyovych Lysenko (1842-03-10 – 1912-10-24 N.S., 1842-03-22 – 1912-11-06 O.S.) was a Ukrainian composer, pianist, conductor and folksong collector. ...

Leoš Janáček (1854-1928): Taras Bulba, a symphonic rhapsody for orchestra, was composed in the years 1915-1918. The composition was first performed on 9 October 1921 by František Neumann, and in Prague on 9 November 1924 by Václav Talich and the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. LeoÅ¡ Janáček in 1928 LeoÅ¡ Janáček ( ; July 3, 1854 in Hukvaldy, Moravia, then Austrian empire – August 12, 1928 in Ostrava, then Czechoslovakia) was a Czech composer. ... October 9 is the 282nd day of the year (283rd in Leap years). ... Year 1921 (MCMXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ... is the 313th day of the year (314th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1924 (MCMXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Taras Bulba, available at Project Gutenberg.

Project Gutenberg, abbreviated as PG, is a volunteer effort to digitize, archive, and distribute cultural works. ...