An epic historical masterpiece heavily inspired by Nikolai Gogol's famous novella Taras Bulba. The painting depicts the legendary 1676 event where the Zaporozhian Cossacks, led by Ataman Ivan Sirko, compose an outrageously insolent reply to Ottoman Sultan Mehmed IV. Repin spent over a decade crafting this monumental work, using notable contemporaries (generals, historians, writers) as prototypes. Remarkably, for the smiling, long-nosed Cossack positioned just above and to the left of the scribe, Repin incorporated the likeness of Nikolai Gogol himself, modeled after the writer's death mask. The canvas stands as a triumphant celebration of freedom, defiant humor, and unyielding spirit.