The Fourth Commandment

Andrey Tchaikovsky (1857–1935) is best known from school for his adventure stories about the times of the Cossacks. In particular, the story "Returned" (1913) immerses us in the everyday life of the Zaporizhian Sich through the eyes of a curly-haired boy Ivas, who was saved from the Tatars. The romantic style of the story will awaken warm memories of the glorious Cossack past.

In contrast, "The Fourth Commandment" (1930) builds images of Galician life at the beginning of the 20th century. Here we observe the confrontation between a father-"peasant" and a son who is about to become a priest. Through the story, Tchaikovsky weighs the inviolability of the commandment of unconditional respect for parents. Both texts, in a lively style, immerse us in the color of the eras and encourage us to walk shoulder to shoulder with the heroes.