The Black Council cover

The Black Council

by Пантелеймон Куліш

*Черная рада, хроника 1663 года* is Panteleimon Kulish’s own Russian translation of his Ukrainian-language novel *Chorna rada, khronika 1663 roku* [Black Council, a Chronicle of the Year 1663], published in St. Petersburg in 1857. The Russian version appeared the same year in Moscow. “Black Council” was the first Ukrainian-language historical novel written in the style of Walter Scott.

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?