The Witch of Konotop

The Witch of Konotop is a satirical tale that humorously depicts the absurdities of life in an 18th century Ukrainian village. At the centre of the story is the town magistrate Mykita, a simple-minded and lazy civil servant who is completely controlled by his mistress Jarema, a cunning and supposedly magical woman.
When another woman in the village is accused of being a witch, Mykita commissions his assistant, the village elder, to punish her. But things don't go as planned and chaos ensues. Through a series of comical misunderstandings, deceptions and magical intrigues, the villagers' lives are turned upside down.
Hryhorij Kvitka-Osnovyanenko (1778 – 1843) is considered the founder of Ukrainian novellism. His story The Witch of Konotop combines elements of folklore with sharp social criticism in order to expose human weaknesses such as stupidity, greed and superstition. It is a living testimony to Ukrainian literature and culture.