Zaporizhzhian Iliad: Taras Bulba and His Sons
Gres Viktor. Zaporizhzhian Iliad. Taras Bulba and His Sons. Film epic. - Washington: Ukraina Inc, 2026. - 272 p.
Film epic based on the works of Nikolai Gogol using Ukrainian folk legends, historical songs, fairy tales, beliefs and fables.
About the author
Viktor Gres is a Ukrainian director, screenwriter, actor. Honored Artist of the Ukrainian SSR (1982). People's Artist of Ukraine (2000). Laureate of domestic and international film festivals.
In 1967, after graduating from VGIK with a degree in "Film Directing of Feature Films", V. Gres was accepted into the staff of the O. Dovzhenko Film Studio. His first screen works showed that a personality with his fresh original worldview, unbridled imagination, and high skill had appeared in cinematography.
His films have repeatedly been awarded high awards at international film festivals.
The film novella "The Blind Dosh" presented at the Monte Carlo International Film Festival received the main "Golden Nymph". This picture is still perceived as a new word in cinema today.
In 1980, V. Gres directed the film "The Black Hen, or the Underground Residents", which was awarded the Main "Golden Prize" (in the section of films for children and youth) at the XII Moscow International Film Festival (1981), the Main Prize at the XIV All-Union Film Festival (Vilnius, 1981), special prizes at international film festivals (France - Tours, 1982, Lyon, 1982, Poitiers 1983; Italy - Giffoni, 1981), etc. The film was nominated for the USSR State Prize. This work rightfully joined V. Gres to the most prominent creators of the world screen.
In 1988, the director created a large-scale film - a spectacular, philosophical parable film "New Adventures of a Yankee at King Arthur's Court", which confirmed that V. Gres is one of the leading directors of Ukrainian cinema - he has his own theme, his own bright creative individuality.
1978-1993, V. Gres taught at the film faculty of the I. Karpenko-Kary KDITM, where his scientific and pedagogical abilities were revealed.
Viktor Gres was elected a member of the artistic council of the O. Dovzhenko film studio, and was also repeatedly elected secretary of the board of the Union of Cinematographers of Ukraine. In 2000, he was awarded the honorary title "People's Artist of Ukraine".
In September 2006, Viktor Gres won the open competition for the best screenplay for a feature film based on M. Gogol's story "Taras Bulba".
The director also owns the scripts "Karmelyuk" (co-authored), "Four Sabers" (co-authored with V. Shevchuk, based on the novel of the same name by Yu. Yanovsky), based on the stories of A. Chekhov), "Taras Bulba: for a prostitute by Gogol, "Under Three Devils, or the Secret of Human Life", "Judgment Day" (based on the works of V. Korolenko, in 2017 the film "A Tale of Money" directed by O. Morhunets-Isayenko was staged based on this script), etc.
In 2009, in Paris, a separate book was published "The Zaporizhian Iliad or Taras Bulba and His Sons" (based on M. Gogol).
In 2014, his knightly epic film triptych "The Zaporizhian Iliad or Taras Bulba and His Sons", inspired by the spirit of Nikolai Gogol and Ukrainian folklore (Samit-Knyga), was published in Kyiv. In 2024, the same publishing house published film parables about Karmelyuk: "The Bells Are Ringing" in co-authorship with Valery Shevchuk. And in 2025 - a collection of poems "Everything Happened on the Way...". Previously, V. Gres also published his literary works in the magazine "Rainbow".
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