Oleksa Dovbush (1959)

Oleksa Dovbush is a hero of Ukrainian folklore, a folk Robin Hood, a hero of the Hutsul region, the leader of the oprishki, endowed with strength and the best human qualities.
We present to the attention of the audience the historical drama "Olexa Dovbush", staged at the Kyiv Film Studio of Feature Films named after Alexander Dovzhenko in 1959. The idea to create a film about the legendary leader of the oprishki arose in the fall of 1939 from film director Alexander Dovzhenko. In the spring and early summer of 1941, the film “Song of Dovbush” (director Ivan Kavaleridze, screenwriter Lyubomir Dmiterko) was filmed in the village of Zhabye (today the city of Verkhovyna). However, the war interrupted filming. Only 20 years later this idea was realized by director Viktor Ivanov.
The film tells about one of the most famous Ukrainian freedom fighters - Oleks Dovbush. He and his oprishki for a long time instilled fear and sowed panic among landowners in the Carpathian Mountains. The figure of Oleksa Dovbush differs from ordinary robbers by the very fact that he composed manifestos and appeals to the people and nobles. The name of Hutsul Robin Hood has been preserved not only in historical documents, but also in folk memory in the form of numerous songs. In particular, the song “Oh under the green guy” about Oleks Dovbush is one of the most respected in the Hutsul region and is considered one of the anthems of the Ukrainian highlanders.
Ada Rogovtseva sang a song about the famous hero of the Carpathians. The main roles were played by Afanasy Kochetkov (Dovbush) and a native of Boykovshchina Natalya Naum (Zvonka). The cameraman was Vadim Ilyenko, a representative of the famous dynasty of Ukrainian film-makers. The main shooting took place in the city of Verkhovyna, in the village of Krivorovnya and their surroundings, as well as in Lvov. The music was performed by the Ukrainian SSR Symphony Orchestra.
Cast:
Afanasy Kochetkov - Oleksa Dovbush;
Natalya Naum - Marichka, Oleksa’s beloved;
Oleg Borisov - Yuzef;
Mark Pertsovsky - Mr. Yablonsky;
Nadezhda Cherednichenko - Mrs. Yablonskaya;
Dmitry Milyutenko - governor of Psheremsky;
Yuri Lavrov - Hetman Count Pototsky;
Grigory Teslya - Cossack Mikhail;
Semyon Likhogodenko - mute;
Jaroslav Gelyas - Stefan;
Vyacheslav Boleslavsky - Matsek;
Petr Vesklyarov - Petriy’s grandfather;
Natalya Kandyba - episode;
Alexander Korotkevich - priest Klyam;
Lev Olevsky - master; uncredited;
Nikolai Muravyov - Vartsaba.
The film was shot at the dawn of the Slestalin thaw and was one of the first signs of the Ukrainian cultural revival of the 60s. In 1960, the film by Oleks Dovbush became one of the leaders in Soviet film distribution. The film was released in Russian. Due to the fact that the film was shot during the Soviet ideology, a certain bias can be traced in it. In particular, the film portrays representatives of the gentry and the church in an almost exclusively negative light, and the image of the Opryshki is quite noticeably idealized. Also, the ending of the film and a number of other episodes differ significantly from historical facts and realities. But despite this, the film amazes with its picturesque Carpathian landscapes, authentic costumes and masterful acting. The highlight of the film is the colorful scenes from the life of the most interesting Ukrainian ethnic group - the Hutsuls.
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