1647 year. Ukrainian lands that make up the Commonwealth. Yan Skshetusky - a young handsome officer, a knight without fear and reproach, serving in the service of Prince Jeremiah Vishnevetsky, the owner of the vast lands on the Left Bank of the Dnieper, rescues a swarthy narrow-eyed giant from the Horde. This brave and arrogant man calls his name: Bogdan Zinoviy Khmelnitsky.
Soon Skshetusky learns that the Khmelnitsky balamutit Cossacks against the gentry. This is explained by old grunts, among whom the heavy gray-bearded one-eyed pan Zagloba, a bouncer and a joker, ready to drink an entire regiment stand out. In the tavern, Jan also meets a good-natured and naive Litvin, a skinny giant with saggy linen eyebrows and scrubs - pan Longinus Podbipyatka from Myshyshek, armed with a huge sword Daredevil. Lytvyn admits to Jan that he vowed to remain in chastity, until following the example of his glorious ancestor, three Basurmans in one fell swoop cut off. But Longinus will soon be forty-five, the heart requires love, the family is dying away, and three goals cannot be cut off at once ...
A few days later, Skshetusky and Pan Longinus leave for Lubny, the capital of Prince Vishnevetsky, to whom Jan is devoted with all his heart. On the road, the squad stumbles upon a broken rattle; a masculine old woman and a young, tall, dark-haired beauty with sad black eyes stand nearby. Seeing the girl, Jan goes numb. And the old woman explains in bass: she is the widow of Prince Kurtsevich-Bulyga, and the girl is her niece, an orphan, Princess Elena Kurtsevich, who is in her care of the old woman. Jan and Elena fall in love at first sight - and forever.
Having taken the ladies to their Razlog estate, Ian sees there the four sons of the old woman - rude, uncouth giants - and the young handsome Bogun, the famous Cossack lieutenant colonel, a desperate daredevil with an unbridled and reckless soul, hopelessly in love with Elena. From the old Tatar, the servant of Helen, Jan learns that the estate actually belongs to the girl - that is the old woman and promised her to the Bogun, hoping to finally take over the Razlogs. After all, Bogun, who brought countless treasures from his desperate Crimean raids, does not need a manor. But Elena Boguna hates it: he cut a man with her. The blood fell between them and sprouted with hatred.
The next morning, Jan asks the old woman for Elena’s hands - otherwise Prince Vishnevetsky will expel Kurtsevichikha from Razlog. Jan, having married, is ready to leave her estate. The sons of the old woman rush to Jan with the hornets, but Kurtsevichikha, fearing the revenge of the prince, is forced to promise Skshetusky Elena.
In Lubny, Skshetusky joyfully meets his best friend, the great fencer pan Michal Volodyevsky. This short gentleman with a protruding mustache, forever in love with someone unrequitedly, quickly suffers with sympathy for the equally sensitive pan Longinus, with whom they go together to sigh on the shaft. One of the court ladies of Princess Vishnevetskaya, a lovely little coquette Anusya Borzobogataya-Krasenskaya gently glances at the huge litvin. Pan Longinus is in despair: the vow is not fulfilled, and the temptation is so great!
Prince Vishnevetsky sends Skshetusky to Sich to find out what is happening there. Driving through the city of Chigirin, Ian sees Bogun, who is walking on the tires in an embrace with pan Zagloba. Bogun wants Zagloba to adopt him and make him a nobleman. Then it will be easier for the Cossack to marry Elena. Zagloba is trying to get along with the Cossacks - what if they get the upper hand? After all, everyone knows that the Cossacks are preparing a campaign for the "Poles" and Khmelnitsky has already asked for help from the Crimean Khan.
On the way, the Cossacks and Tatars attack Skshetuski’s detachment and after a fierce battle they take the wounded Jan. Cossacks demand the death of an "angry scumbag", but Khmelnitsky recognizes his savior in captivity and sets him free. However, he angrily exposes Khmelnitsky, who "raises his own grievances and private feuds for such a terrible storm." Enraged, Khmelnytsky accuses the Polish magnates of all who are shamelessly oppressing the Ukrainian people.
The next day, the Zaporizhzhya army emerges from Sich. In the Cossack wagon train, Skshetusky was raving. He is horrified in semi-unconsciousness: his fatherland is in danger, but he does not hasten to save it! Soon, the "bloodied Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth is already lying in the dust at the feet of the Cossack." Khmelnitsky finally sends Skshetusky to Lubny: let him tell Prince Vishnevetsky how strong the Cossacks are.
Ian hurries to Razlog - in horror he sees ashes at the place of the estate. And here’s what happened here: the sixteen-year-old Redzian, the servant of Skshetusky and the rogues, whom Jan, having not yet reached Sich, sent a letter to Kurtsevichikha, commanding her and Elena to immediately hide in Lubny, fell into the hands of Bogun. Having taken away the letter from the young man, Bogun learns that Elena is caught up for Skshetusky and rushes with the Cossacks to Razlog. Bogun went mad with jealousy and resentment: he served the Kurtsevichs like a dog, shared his prey - but the nobleman appeared, and they took his soul from the Cossack!
Together with God, a gloomy Zagloba rides. Although he is the first balamut, he takes great care of his own skin - he understands that if Bogun snatches the bride of the princely pet of Skshetusky, then he, Zaglobe, who is involved in this story, must not bear his head.
In Razlog, Bogun kills the two sons of the old woman and receives a wound. Cossacks crack down on Kurtsevichikha and all servants. Zagloba, bandaging the weakened chieftain, imperceptibly screwed him to the bed and, making sure that the Cossacks had drunk too much, declared to Bogun: not to see him, the boor, the gentry! And then he runs with Elena from the estate.
But where to take refuge? Massacre and blood are everywhere. Having dressed as wandering musicians, Zagloba and Elena are transported to the “Cossack” bank of the Dnieper. Meanwhile, the peasants burn the Razlogs, taking revenge on the Kurtsevichs for cruel oppression. In the fire, the eldest son of the old woman, the blessed blind man Vasil, also perishes.
Upon learning that Bogun is desperately looking for someone, Skshetusky understands: Elena managed to escape. Ksiendz Mukhovetsky instructs Jan: “It’s not worth it more about your own than about the misfortune of the fatherland to lament!” And Ian goes headlong into military affairs. Finally, he meets with Zagloba and hears from him that Elena is in an impregnable Bar, at the nuns. Then Zagloba tells how they got with Elena to the Khmelnitsky camp, how Khmelnitsky sent him, Zagloba, to spy in Podolia and gave his mace instead of a security letter. So Zagloba managed to take Elena to the Bar, and even fed on the road.
To Skshetusky is finally his servant Redjian. All this time he had to look after the wounded Bohun. Ataman generously rewarded the young man - and he took: well, then leave the robber ?! Although Bogun’s habits are gentry.
Skshetusky is going to Bar - get married. And then the terrible news comes: the bar is taken, all the inhabitants are dead! Friends are afraid that Scetusky would not move with grief. Jan, with a petrified face, calmly and zealously serves. After the war, he decided to leave for the monastery.
Bogun, along with the witch Gorpina, a hefty virgin, takes Elena, who is watered with a sleep potion, to Chertov Yar, to Gorpynin farm, where no one will find the beauty. In the Bar, Bogun was the first to break into a monastery to protect Elena from a drunken rabble, and she herself - with a knife! And if that - again grabs a knife ... Having woken up on a farmhouse, in a room, cleaned with expensive carpets and fabrics, Elena is horrified to see the handsome Bohun in a luxurious outfit. Gently and meekly her chieftain prays for love. Never! - proudly answers Elena.
After a drunken stomp, the Goddess falls into her paws - and realizes that he, the old man, cannot die with easy death. Bohun boasts that he will soon get married to Elena in Kiev. They are locked in a crib, from where the old man is rescued by the ripening pan Volodyevsky, who wounds Bohun in a fight.
Soon Zagloba and Volodyevsky again faced with God. But now he goes to the king Casimir as an ambassador - and, therefore, the person of the chieftain is inviolable. However, Zagloba, with malicious taunts, makes Bohun himself challenge Volodyevsky to a duel. With a terrible blow, Volodyevsky cuts the breast of the chieftain. Zagloba bandages Bohun - useless, of course, but such is the duty of a Christian.
Now, nothing will stop friends from finding Elena. Remembering her, Zagloba weeps with bass, and Volodyevsky echoes him with a tenor. But returning to Zbarazh, where their regiments now stand, friends find out that Skshetusky has already gone in search, heard in Kiev about the death of Elena and is now in a daze.
Friends drink honey mixed with tears. And then Redzian appeared, who had recently seen the boogun come to a head - and he sent him to Gorpyn, telling her to take Elena to Kiev. Ataman gave Rezyan all his money, and he immediately informed the Poles where the wounded Bohun was hiding. For some reason, friends do not like this, but the news that Elena is alive makes them cry with happiness. Having dressed as Cossacks, Volodyevsky, Zagloba and Redzyan immediately set off for the girl. The witch Gorpiny Zagloba is not afraid - he himself is worse than her sorcerer.
In Chert Yar, Redzyan kills Gorpina, although it seems to Volodyevsky that this knight’s deed is not worthy. An hour later, Zagloba, Elena, stupefied by her beauty, Volodyevsky and Redzyan, suffering that they did not have time to dig up the treasures of Bohun hidden on the farm, rush to Zbarazh with all their might. On the way, they almost collide with Bogun: apparently, the ill-wisher of Skshetusky Regovsky, to whom Redzyan brought to Bogun, specially released the ataman.
In the forest for the gentry Tatars rush in pursuit. Redzyan and Elena are hiding in the night, and Volodyevsky and Zagloba, risking their lives, detain the Horde. Fortunately, the Polish detachment soon arrives. Volodyevsky and Zagloba go to Zbarazh, deciding so far not to say anything to Skshetusky, who also returned to this fortress.
And soon Zbarazh besieged Khmelnitsky. Volodyevsky is desperately chopped. My student! - proudly says Zagloba. During a terrible assault, he himself, with a fright, kills the brave Cossack chieftain Burlya. And the happy pan Longinus succeeds in cutting off three heads at once!
But food and gunpowder end in the fortress. Pan Longinus undertakes to slip past the Cossacks into Toporov, to the king, for help. Pan Pribipyatka integrity can not wait to sell! - rages Zagloba. And yet he, Volodyevsky and Skshetsky are ready to go with a friend to certain death. But Prince Vishnevetsky orders to get into Toporov one at a time.
The first to leave is Pan Longinus - and perishes with a fierce death. The second is Skshetusky. Exhausted, hungry and sick, he makes his way along the river and swamps past the enemies.
And in the royal chambers there is a terrible creature in bloody rags, more like a ghost. Barely on his feet, Skshetusky tells of the unparalleled heroism of his comrades. The shocked king immediately sends his troops to help the besieged. I owe your debt, he says to Skshetusky.
Eight days lying in delirium, Ian comes to his senses - and sees the red-faced physiognomy of Redzian. And although he ordered the young priests to remain silent for a while, fearing that Skshetusky would not die of joy, Redzyan could not stand it and tells how they saved Elena, how he rode away from the Tatars and fell into the hands of Gorpina’s brother, Donets, and that girl He wanted to take the goddess, but then the Poles arrived in time; they cut the Cossacks, Donza was put to a stake, and Redzyan, barely pushing the young gentry away from Elena, brought the young lady to Zamost.
Then Volodyevsky and the emaciated Zagloba run into the room. Under Zborovo peace is made, the siege is lifted! And having jumped on horses, friends rush towards Elena. Seeing the carriage, Skshetusky dismounts, falls to his knees, and amid the general commotion, the gentle hands of his beloved hug him. The sympathetic Zaglob almost forgets to tell Yan that Volodyevsky again wounded Bogun and captured him. Yes, Bogun, it seems, was looking for death himself ... Vishnevetsky wanted to put him on a stake, and then decided to give it to Skshetusky. “Great courage is a warrior and also unhappy,” says Yang. “I will not belittle him ...”
Everyone praises Skshetusky - the hero of Zbarazh. Yang, like a true Christian knight, humbly lowers his head. Elena’s eyes shine with pride: after all, man’s glory for his wife is like sunlight for the earth.
Epilogue. This war lasted a long time. The gentry bravely fought, the Bohun bravely smashed the “Poles”. History has preserved the memory of his unprecedented affairs. He took possession of most of the lands of Vishnevetsky, did not recognize anyone’s authority, he lived in Razlog. There he seemed to die. And until his death hour, his smile never lit up his face.
