A Story of the Forest: Mavka

The story

Mavka, a water nymph, loves Lukash, a country youth. Their brief happiness ends when Lukash is forced to marry the shrewish Kilina. The spirit of the forest turns Lukash into a wolf as punishment for his infidelity. The strength of Mavka's love breaks the spell, but Kilina curses the nymph, transforming her into a weeping willow. This beautiful and tragic story is based on a play written in 1912 by Lesya Ukrainka, a Ukrainian poet, writer and political, civil and female activist, and includes mythological characters taken from Ukrainian folklore.

Cast & crew

Lyudmila EfimenkoMavka

Viktor KremlevLukash

Maya BulgakovaLukash’s Mother

Ivan MykolaichukUncle Leo / Wood Goblin

Boris KhmelnitskyRed (forest) Demon

Viktor DemertashKoots

Liudmyla LobzaKylyna

Nina ShatskayaWater Sprite

Svetlana SergeyevaMeadow Fairy

Ivan Khodulin

Ivan KhodulinKylyna’s child

Pylyp IllienkoKylyna’s child

Vladimir FyodorovHunger Imps