In the year 1775, by order of the Russian Empress Catherine II, the glorious Zaporozhian Sich, a symbol of Cossack freedom and the indomitable Ukrainian spirit, was destroyed. Deprived of their land, a part of the Zaporozhians were forced to seek refuge beyond the Danube, on the territories of the Ottoman Empire.
Ten years passed… Yet, the exiles have not forgotten their fathers’ graves, their native steppes, nor the nightingale’s songs over the Dnipro. Their hearts still burn with hope of return, and their Cossack courage and pride do not fade, even in a foreign land.
The battle roar shakes the earth. The royal army ruthlessly destroys the Zaporozhian Sich. Cannons thunder, flames rise high, the Cossack barracks are blown to pieces, and sparks scatter like stars across the hellish sky…
Amid the smoke and ashes, a mournful yet majestic song is heard. Karas, together with his comrades, sings the ‘Song of the Destruction of the Zaporozhian Sich’ – a bitter lament for their lost home and freedom, yet it is also a vow: the Cossack spirit shall never perish.
Dawn breaks over the Danube. In the settlement of the Zaporozhians, who have found refuge on Turkish lands, a spirited Cossack song is heard.
Oksana, the young and beautiful foster daughter of Karas, steps out onto the porch. She gazes into the distance, listening to the whisper of the water and the wind. Her thoughts are filled with memories of her homeland and her beloved Andriy. Her friends soon join her, and singing together, the girls set off to the fields for the harvest. At home remains Odarka, Karas’s sincere, strong and wise wife. She sees the girls off and goes to fetch water, worried that her dear husband has been gone for too long.
Meanwhile, Karas returns home in high spirits. He brings news: Andriy has managed to gather representatives of the Cossack groups who survived the destruction of the Sich. They have agreed to unite and prepare for their return to Ukraine. All that remains is to meet the Sultan and obtain his permission to leave.
Odarka returns and rejoices that her beloved husband is alive and safe. Long in love, the couple savours a rare moment of happiness together. Only a few people are aware of the secret night meeting of the Cossacks and their decision to return home. So, when Odarka curiously asks about his long absence, Karas makes up a story about a ‘niece’ with whom he supposedly stayed overnight. Odarka laughs. She knows perfectly that it is not true. Her loving heart senses she has no reason to doubt him. Yet, ‘for the neighbours’, she plays a funny jealousy scene. Karas laughs at his wife and promises to ‘remember this’ later.
Suddenly, the Sultan himself appears near the house. The Ottoman ruler sees in the Cossack community a force that might serve his own interests. With a hint from Selih-Aga, Karas realises that the man before him is the Padishah himself, but since the Sultan does not reveal his name, quick-witted Karas pretends not to recognise him. In a lively tale, he recalls having both ‘seen and not seen’ the Sultan in battle. Amused, the Sultan fondly recollects his baptism by fire and, hearing of Karas’s wish to meet him in person, invites him to the palace.
While Karas goes inside, the Sultan orders his servant to escort the Cossack to the palace. When Karas returns, he encounters Selih-Aga, who pretends to be a ‘Sultan’s pal’. A comical scene unfolds, culminating in Karas being dressed up in traditional Turkish clothes. Accompanied by graceful Eastern dancers, he sets off for the Sultan’s chambers.
Evening falls over the Danube. Cossacks gather in Karas’s courtyard for a lively celebration. Songs of the past, love, happiness and native land fill the air.
Under the starry sky, Oksana dreams of reuniting with Andriy and sings the tender aria ‘Angel of the Night’, a prayer and confession of a loving heart. Andriy appears. The lovers decide to flee together to Ukraine. But Turkish patrols stand in their way…
A festive buzz fills Karas’s house. Odarka and her friends are getting ready for the celebration. The women sing their favourite song, reminiscing about their youth and first love.
Karas appears in Turkish attire, humorously telling his friends about his conversation with the Sultan. Now, all that remains is to await the ruler’s decision.
Karas then solemnly declares to Odarka that he is entering the Sultan’s service. The lively duet ‘I Shall Marry Turkish Women’, an example of true Ukrainian humour, reveals the couple’s dynamic nature. The characters’ ever-changing mood and witty exchanges culminate in a ‘harem’ suddenly appearing on stage, driving Odarka to the height of resentment…
A messenger from the Sultan arrives with long-awaited news: the Cossacks are allowed to return home! Joy sweeps everyone. There are tears of happiness from Oksana, who, together with Andriy, have just been captured and brought back by the Turkish guards. There is delight from Karas and Odarka, who dream of the boundless Ukrainian steppes and the quiet Dnipro. There are the Cossack youngsters, who now see the promise of a free life in their native land before them. Karas knows well that before them lies not only the joy of return, but also the struggle for freedom and for the right to live and be masters in their own homeland.
The finale of the opera is filled with exaltation and inspiration. Andriy’s prayer ‘Lord of Heaven and Earth’, a symbol of unbreakable faith and love for the homeland, and ultimate hope for Ukraine’s bright and peaceful future, fills the heavens.
Comic opera in 2 acts (performed with one intermission). Libretto by S. Gulak-Artemovsky, edited by D. Pavliuk. Music arrangements by Ivan Nebesniy and Tymofiy Starenkov.
The composer’s fame came with his opera ‘A Zaporozhian Beyond the Danube’, which he completed in 1862. Its premiere took place a year later on the stage of the Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg. In 1864-1865, the opera was performed in Moscow at the Bolshoi Theatre, with the composer himself appearing in the role of Karas.
The subject of The Zaporozhian Beyond the Danube is closely connected with Ukrainian history. The idea for the work was suggested to the composer by the outstanding Ukrainian historian, poet and thinker Mykola Kostomarov. In 1775, by order of Empress Catherine II, the Zaporozhian Sich was destroyed. Many Zaporozhians fled abroad to the territory of the Ottoman Empire, where they founded the Danubian Sich. Although their way of life there resembled that of the old Sich, the Cossacks longed to return home to Ukraine. Turkey hoped to use them against Russia, but in 1828, during the Russo-Turkish War, part of the Cossacks returned to their homeland, and the Danubian Sich was destroyed. These events became the basis for the opera’s conception, which the composer reinterpreted and set in the 18th century.
The opera quickly won the hearts of the audience, but before long, it was removed from the repertoire. The reason was the Polish uprising of 1863, followed by censorship that severely restricted the development of Ukrainian drama and theatre. Apart from amateur performances, ‘A Zaporozhian Beyond the Danube’ was not produced by a Ukrainian company again until 1884, in Rostov-on-Don. The opera’s revival came during the Soviet era, when it was in the repertoire of many theatres not only across Ukraine but also in other Soviet republics and even abroad. ‘A Zaporozhian Beyond the Danube’ became the first work to bring Ukrainian folk song and dance to the theatrical stage.
Semen Stepanovych Gulak-Artemovsky was a Ukrainian composer, singer, dramatic actor, playwright and author of the first Ukrainian opera. He was born in 1813 in Gorodyshchi, Cherkasy County (now Cherkasy Region, Ukraine). Gulak-Artemovsky’s destiny was determined by his exceptional voice. In 1838, while studying at the Kyiv Bursary School, Gulak-Artemovsky’s talent was noticed by Mikhail Glinka, who took the gifted young man with him to St Petersburg. Glinka initially gave him singing lessons himself, and in 1839 organised several concerts in his support. With the money raised, Gulak-Artemovsky continued his studies abroad. After visiting Paris, he travelled to Italy, where, after two years of study, he made his debut at the Florence Opera.
In 1842, Semen Gulak-Artemovsky returned to St Petersburg, where he was a soloist of the Russian Imperial Opera for 22 years. In 1864-1865, he performed as a soloist at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. A special place in Gulak-Artemovsky’s creative legacy is held by his Ukrainian songs, including ‘The Maple Stands above the Water’ (dedicated to his friend Taras Shevchenko, whom he had known since 1838), ‘I Do Not Wish to Sleep’, and ‘Oh, on the Hill the Reapers Reap’, a rhapsody from his collection of seven songs titled ‘Ukrainian Wedding’, and others.
Semen Gulak-Artemovsky was also interested in traditional medicine and statistics, and compiled the Statistical and Geographical Tables of the Cities of the Russian Empire. He died in 1873 in Moscow and was buried at the Vagankovo Cemetery.