Ivan Franko was a revolutionary who defended the right to freedom of the common people. This was shown in his book "Zakhar Berkut", which you can find at the link https://sens.in.ua/. Composition “Zakhar Berkut”, it is a classic of Ukrainian literature, a tale of courage, courage and ingenuity of the peasants, love for one's land and freedom, the right to choose, where and how to live, how to build your destiny. All the wisdom of the Ukrainian people is gathered in the person of the main character Zakhar Berkut.
About the author
Ivan Yakovych Franko is a famous Ukrainian writer, publicist, organizer of the revolutionary movement in Galicia, was nominated for the Nobel Prize.
The genius of Ukrainian literature was born in the family of a blacksmith. He graduated from school and the Drohobytsky Gymnasium, worked as a tutor, read a lot and wrote poems since childhood. At the age of nineteen, he entered Lviv University, who graduated only fifteen years later, because he constantly participated in the Ukrainian movement for democratic freedoms and went to prison three times. He wrote works in Polish, Ukrainian, in German and Russian, his works have been filmed many times.
The following works belong to Franko, how:
- "Cross paths";
- "Pillars of society";
- "For the sake of the family hearth";
- "Withered Leaves"…
You can buy these and other works by Frank in the online bookstore “SENSE”.
Plot of the book “Zakhar Berkut”
Eastern Carpathians, the small village of Tukhlya, whose inhabitants live freely, not knowing the troubles. One day everything changed - Prince Danylo gives the village to the boyar Tugar Vovka. The boyar has a beautiful daughter, Miroslava, raised by her father in harsh Spartan conditions and is not inferior to any young man in the ability to hunt. The boyar and his daughter go hunting, taking Maxim Berkut as a guide, Zakhar's son is a respected person in the village.
They go after the bear and at some point Miroslava falls into the bear's den. Maxim saves her from mortal danger. The girl shakes the savior's hand and understands, that she is in love with him, Maxim is also fascinated by her.
When they return from hunting, Maxim tells a legend about the valley, and shows the rock that protects their peace. A boy asks a boyar for a girl's hand in marriage. Tugar got angry - what impudence, his daughter is not the level of stench. However, the girl agrees, she gives Maxim her kiss and vows to be with him. Tugar does not respond to his daughter.
Zakhar Berkut is over ninety years old, but he kept a proud bearing and a clear head. The elder has a great understanding of herbs and helps the villagers treat diseases. He lived at the monastery for three years, therefore, he is the most respected person in the village.
Tugar is trying to establish his own order in the new lands - he brutally punishes the forester, what makes people angry. A public court is held in the village, Tugar Vovk comes at him. The elders call to give peace to the village and recognize the people as free, because they need to fight a more terrible enemy - the Mongol horde, which kills and destroys everything in its path.
However, Tugar asks to join him to fight against the horde, he had already met with them in Kalka, so will be able to help recapture the village. But here it turns out to be a cripple, who once fought with Tugar and exposes him as a lie. The wolf pounces on him and kills everyone, without having time to agree.
The community expels the Wolf from the village, and then he goes to the Mongols and offers them his help in conquering lands in the Carpathians, promising to lead them by the shortest path. Myroslava seeing, as her father speaks the Mongolian language, understands, that he is a traitor, and she is afraid for Maxim.
The father leaves with the horde and promises his daughter not to kill her lover. Meanwhile, Maxim combines with the boyar's soldiers, and they have a skirmish with the Wolf and the Mongols, which kill everyone, and Berkut is taken prisoner.
Myroslava comes to the villagers and tells Maxim's plan how to defeat the horde - everyone must leave the village, without leaving any food, and block the exit from the valley with stones, and when the Mongols start climbing the rocks, then kill them. And so it happened. 
Miroslava makes her way to the camp, where is Maxim?, seeing her, the boy cheers up. Understanding, that they cannot get out of the valley, Tugar goes to Zahar for negotiations, and asks them to be released from the pit by Maximov's will. He refuses, understanding, that the life of one person, even a son, cannot be more important than the life of the whole region. After learning about it, Myroslava despairs…
Why you should read classic Ukrainian literature and where to buy it
- Classical Ukrainian literature has become today the main medicine in the age of social networks. You should read classic literature, because it makes you think deeply and concentrate. For, to get rid of superficiality and impatience, which is inherent in accelerated life 21 century.
- One should read more Ukrainian classical literature, because daily practice will make you turn away from the poisonous mass of anger, indulgence and fun, which are now widespread in the mass media.
- The collective mind allows us to share only superficial parts of ourselves with each other too easily. And reading literature will allow you to learn to penetrate into the very essence.
- Ukrainian classical literature not only provides a stimulus, which your mind longs for, but also explores the eternal questions and struggles about that, what it means to be human. And when you explore these questions, exploring deep thought, which is carried by classical literature, you discover valuable insights, that make you better prepared for it, to solve problems, rather than just worrying about them.
- Reading works of Ukrainian classical literature means interacting with the works of the most intelligent Ukrainian writers. This is an opportunity to get better, to seek and appreciate beauty, to reflect on important issues, follow a line of thought, concentrate, transform language symbols into an image in your imagination, weigh the statement, analyze, exercise the powers of your mind.
Online book store “SENSE” offers a wide range of books of Ukrainian and world classic literature on the Internet. Here you can choose and buy books by such authors:
- Ivan Franko
- Vasyl Stus
- Lesya Ukrainka
- Marko Vovočok
- Mykhailo Kotsyubynskyi…
“SENSE” we will become your guide to the truly bottomless world of Ukrainian classical literature. Place an order through the shopping cart on https://sens.in.ua/ or call 093-504-40-70.
