![]() ![]() ![]() But if Taras Bulba is a great Ukrainian hero, as the national anthem suggests, why is he also considered a Russian patriot? If the Cossacks were Russian patriots like Taras Bulba, why are they now fighting with Vladimir Putin’s armies across Ukraine? “We'll show that we, brothers, are of the Cossack nation!” says the Ukrainian national anthem. This identity goes back to the 16th Century, and many Ukrainians still have a strong sense of belonging to that heritage. The main protagonist was a Cossack, a member of a self-ruled nomadic people with contested origins, living in the Eastern European steppes. The book is about the bravery and adventurous lifestyles of the Cossacks, a portrayal that was turned into a 1962 Hollywood movie starring Yul Bryne and Tony Curtis. Ukrainian-origin 19th-century writer Nikolai Gogol’s “Taras Bulba” novel has been a great inspiration for both Russians and Ukrainians for several generations. Ukraine literally means “on the edge,” which explains why the country is caught between Russia and the West in a near prophetic vision. ![]()
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