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Act One A square in front of the Bratsky Cathedral in Kyiv
occupied by the szlachta (Polish gentry - A. N.).
At the monasterial gate a kobzar (a musician playing
the kobza, an ancient Ukrainian guitar-type instrument
- A. N.), surrounded by the folk, is singing
about the Zaporizhians’ heroic past and calling
to stand up for the Motherland in its hard time. The
Polish commissaries appear and disperse the folk.
Taras Bulba with his son Ostap and the steward come out of the monastery. Andriy runs up to them. Taras asks the steward to bring up the young Cossacks, whom he is leaving at school, in the spirit of love for their Motherland. He says farewell to his sons. "
 Andriy tells his brother about a charming Polish girl he saw in a Roman-Catholic church. Ostap gets
indignant: «Oh, those Polish are going to lead you to trouble!» A Catholic procession is approaching,
headed by the woyewoda (governor - A. N.) and his daughter.
The kobzar appears in the square again. Ostap asks him to sing a battle song. The folk, indignant at their servitude, join in the kobzar’s song which calls them to disobey the Polish. The Polish commissaries and soldiers try to catch the kobzar. The folk defend their singer. The kobzar falls down shot by the enemy’s bullet. Act Two Taras’s cottage and yard. Nastia is waiting
for her sons.
A moving scene where Ostap and Andriy meet their mother.  Taras Bulba comes up. He is mocking at his
sons’ clothes. Ostap feels hurt and starts measuring
swords with his father.
The neighbours are coming over to congratulate Taras on his children’s return. Bulba’s old friend Tovkach comes. He asks the «doves» to tell what is happening in Kyiv. Ostap says that the Polish are raging throughout Ukraine. He asks his father to let him and his brother go to Zaporizhya to serve their Motherland. Taras makes up his mind to go to the Sich (Cossack state - A. N.) together with his sons in order to consolidate a powerful force to struggle for Ukraine. The guests unanimously approve Taras’s idea. The Cossacks are getting prepared for the expedition. Nastia rushes to her children. A sorrowful mother’s song is sounding. Ostap and Andriy are soothing their mother. Taras comes in. He orders his sons to say farewell to their mother. She tries to bless her children and falls down unconscious. Taras with his sons, Tovkach and other Cossacks set off to the Sich. Act Three
The Zaporizhian Sich. Some Cossacks
are mending their arms, but most
of them are just idling around. Taras
and Tovkach reproach the Sichians for
«getting effeminate with their otamanship
». The Cossacks agree with Taras
and run off to their kurins (units -
A. N.) in order to call the Rada (Council
- A. N.).
Andriy runs in, excited. His dream is going to come true. «On march! On march!» - he exclaims delightfully. All of a sudden, Andriy’s delight gives way to a heavy foreboding. Ostap comes at this moment. Andriy asks his brother not to leave alone in the strange land. Ostap shames and soothes his brother: «Where you will be, I will be there!» Andriy and Ostap are enthusiastically singing about a new banquet where they will win a wreath of thorns for themselves or an honour for the whole country. The Zaporizhians have got together in the Sich main square. The kish otaman (Camp Chieftain - A. N.) arrives, surrounded by the Cossack starshinas (sergeant-majors - A. N.). The flag and the Sich regalia are solemnly brought in. Most Cossacks stand against the kish otaman. So, he has to lay down the regalia. Taras Bulba and Tovkach advise that the courageous Kyrdiaha should be elected the kish otaman. Kyrdiaha appears. As the Rada insists, he agrees to be the kish otaman. The Sich elders strew Kyrdiaha’s head with soil and instruct him to serve the Cossacks faithfully sincerely. The Zaporizhians exclaim: «Glory to the Kish Otaman! Glory to Zaporizhya and Ukraine!»  |
An exhausted messenger appears. He announces that the Polish are burning and plundering the
Motherland, murdering people around. The Zaporizhians take their arms out. Kyrdiaha calls them to go
against the enemy. A battle song is sounding. Taras Bulba,
Tovkach and all Sichians set forward.
 ACT FOUR Scene One The Cossacks have laid siege to the fortress of Dubno. The camp are resting now. Andriy can’t sleep as he’s dreaming of his beautiful sweetheart. A Tatar woman, Marylka’s servant-maid, is sneaking among the carts. She tells Andriy about a starvation in the fortress, about her mistress who hasn’t eaten anything for three days. The Tatar asks him to save Marylka. Andriy hesitates. But his love for the Polish girl makes him forget about the honour and duty to his Motherland. He takes up a bag of food and slinks with a Tatar to a cave to penetrate into the fortress through a secret passage. Scene Two
A chapel in the woyewoda’s castle. The noblemen implore God to annihilate their schismatic enemies. The Tatar brings Andriy over to Marylka. He falls to his knees before the girl and swears to give everything for her love, even the dearest - his Motherland. The woyewoda, a Polish priest and dignitaries come in. The woyewoda thanks Andriy for Marylka’s rescue. Andriy asks for his daughter’s hand. The szlachta are indignant at the slave’s effrontery. But the priest advises that the woyewoda should bless their marriage: «He knows the enemy’s passages in and out, so he will be of great benefit to us! Word is one, but execution is another!» The woyewoda accepts the mean advice and appoints Andriy to be a colonel. Scene Three
The Zaporizhians are in a heavy mood after the battle. Taras Bulba says that last night the Polish passed by the sleeping Cossacks and the Tatars ruined the Sich. The colonel calls to annihilate the enemies. Ostap supports his father with a youthful ardour. Taras invocatorily proclaims that the strongest weapon of the Cossacks is their fraternity. The Zaporizhians unanimously support Taras. Zaporozhny appears. He’s just escaped from the enemy’s prison. He tells Bulba about Andriy’s betrayal. It’s hard for Taras to hear this message. The Zaporizhians grow sad too. A Cossack announces that the Polish have set out of the fortress. Taras commands to move against the enemy and asks the Cossacks to trap Andriy. The traitor in a Polish noblemen’s dress with a ribbon on his hand, excited by the battle, is pursuing the Cossacks. The terrible «Stop!» of his father stops him. «I gave birth to such, so I myself will kill him!» - that is Bulba’s verdict for his treacherous son. A shot sounds. Andriy falls down. Ostap runs up. His soul is torn by the feelings of hatred for the traitor and love for his brother. The szlachta is defended. The remnants of the crushed Polish army have hidden behind the fortress’s walls. Taras calls the Cossacks to attack Dubno.  Scene Four A fierce battle in the fortress. The szlachta desperately resists. Taras Bulba with Ostap destroy the enemies.
The Sich flag is triumphantly waving. The Zaporizhians are greeting Taras Bulba and his son Ostap.
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