Inspired by family legends about a distant ancestor believed to have belonged to the Zaporizhian Cossacks, this work reflects Maltsev's lifelong dialogue with memory and heritage. Stories passed down through generations - including those told by the artist's grandfather - shaped his understanding of identity, history, and cultural continuity.
The figure is not portrayed as a historical character, but as a symbolic presence. The calm yet tense posture, together with the white horse standing close behind, suggests a unity between man, land and freedom.
Rather than depicting the past itself, Maltsev evokes an inner inheritance - a memory carried across generations, surviving change and time.
