Bayda (1968) - Hryhoriy Synytsia
Bayda, the legendary figure in Ukrainian folklore, is based on the historical Dmytro Vyshnevetsky, a 16th-century Ruthenian noble and military leader who founded the first Cossack fortress on Khortytsia Island, laying the groundwork for the Zaporizhian Sich. Though a real figure, he was transformed in Ukrainian dumy (epic songs) into a heroic Cossack warrior who defied the Ottoman Sultan, refused to abandon his faith when offered to marry the Sultan's daughter, and was martyred in captivity. Hung on a hook and tortured, Baida remains defiant until death, symbolizing unbreakable spirit and the fight for freedom of the Cossacks. Through this legend, he became a lasting emblem of Cossack bravery and Ukrainian resistance to tyranny.
