(film review)

I was already familiar with other works of V. Rutkivskyi when the film ‘The Stronghold’ was released. I watched the movie with pleasure, and I liked it, but at that time I had not yet read the story on which it was filmed. I recently picked up a book with a movie cover and I didn’t expect something similar to a movie, because I already had known the style of writer’s works and anticipated the pleasure of a completely different genre than some dynamic fantasy movie. And so it happened.

Rutkivskyi’s story is focused on the reinterpretation of legends and historical details. Adventures may be a little less in the book, but they are more realistic and more reliable. It has less magic and genre templates, and more humanity. Illya Muromets, for example, appears not only as a hero but also as a sweet tooth who steals cherries from grandfather Ovsiy’s hands.

I simply admire the skills of the author. He even thinks over the way people thought in the distant 12th century. It is necessary to think about the fact that the reed fortress must be plastered with swamp moss so that the fiery Polovtsian arrows wouldn’t whine. Or about the fact that when saddling a horse, one should check whether it doesn’t inflate its belly because then the saddle will come off and the rider will fall. And how picturesquely V. Rutkivskyi describes the animals and plants of the princely age! Here you can find lynx, wild boars, moose, and lush steppe greenery. It’s like you really get into those wild times.

The book is definitely worth reading: whether after the movie or before – it doesn’t matter. Because these are different stories and each has its own advantages and values.

My rating is 9/10.