During an interesting era in the history of Eastern Europe when Russia, under Peter the Great, and Sweden, under King Charles XII, struggled for power, Ukraine was the pawn in the middle. In 1709, Ivan Mazepa, Hetman of Ukraine, which was part of the Russian Empire, signed a pact with the Swedish king promising to support Sweden in its war against Russia provided that Ukraine was given its independence.
as Hetman Mazepa
as Liubov Kochubei
as King Charles XII
as Tsar Peter I
as Judge General Kochubei
as Cossack Leleka
as Young Mazepa
as Hetman Samoilovych
as Chancellor Orlyk
as Zaporozhian Leader Sirko
as Prince Vasili Golitsyn
as Gypsy Sorceress
as Leader of Free Will
as Marshall Zhukov
as guest at the wedding
as Iskra
