#taras schevchenko

[a-pint-of-j-and-b]

Тополя (Poplar Tree) | 1996 | Valentina Kostyleva | Ukraine

Based on the poem by Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko. A young girl falls in love with a Cossack who goes off to war. She waits faithfully for his return, but as time passes, he does not come back. Heartbroken and despairing, she fears he has died or forgotten her. The villagers pressure her to marry someone else, but she refuses.

In her sorrow, she seeks help from a traditional Ukrainian village witch/folk healer, begging for a way to preserve her love and avoid an unwanted marriage. The witch casts a spell that turns the girl into a poplar — tall, slender, and always reaching toward the distance, as if still looking for her beloved.