In 1933, Welsh journalist Gareth Jones travels to Ukraine, where he experiences the horrors of a famine. Everywhere he goes he meets henchmen of the Soviet secret service who are determined to prevent news about the catastrophe from getting out. Stalin’s forced collectivisation of agriculture has resulted in misery and ruin—the policy is tantamount to mass murder.

On the eve of Easter, an icon depicting the Ethiopian Mother of God enters a Ukrainian village. After the icon is noticed by regular parishioners, a conflict begins between the young priest and his flock. Peasants do not agree to have a dark-skinned Mother of God in the church. One night someone makes his way to the church and cuts the icon. After the night events, the icon begins to pour myrrh.

What if Taras Shevchenko put down his pen and took a samurai sword into his hands? Akayo samurai enters the territory of Ukraine, seeking revenge on the Japanese Harimoto--a buyer of slaves from a Ukrainian master. On his way, Akayo meets the serf Taras, who is also guided by personal revenge and wants to organize the release of his beloved.

In the early eighteenth century, foreign rule means dark times for the Hutsuls of the Carpathians. The two Dovbush brothers become opryshkos - mountain outlaws. But the two brothers become enemies - one cares only about money, the other - Oleksa - fights for his people. The Carpathians are convulsed with a wave of uprisings. The aristocracy uses its military might to try to kill Dovbush and destroy his legend. But Dovbush outwits them. The desperate lords devise a devious plan and attack the invincible outlaw's Achilles heel - his love for his childhood sweetheart, Marichka. Who will be the assassin to attack the Opryshko whose immense strength and bravery inspired folk tales? Will the lords' treacherous plan destroy the hero before he can lead his people to freedom?

At a bus stop, provincial taxi driver Yura meets young beauty Svieta, and is hired to drive both her and her mother to Pryputni - a small Ukrainian village in the middle of nowhere. Seduced by a promised payment and Svieta's short skirt, Yura doesn't have a clue, that his visit to Pryputni is going to last a little longer than he expects.

Year 1947. Commander of UPA Danylo Chervonyi gets into the terrible slaughter of Stalin's camps, where he must go through hell and inhumane prison conditions, prosecution of criminal leaders, meanness, betrayal and despair. Danylo finds the strength to resist repression of the camp commander and makes a desperate attempt to break free, raising the first rebel in the camp.

For the first time, Slava spends a day with her father, Roman, who is home on leave from the war. They go to return an expensive carpet he bought for her, and Slava must navigate the distance that eight years of service has created between them.