Ukrainian Sheriffs (2015) Plot Summary Explained

Beginning in the summer of 2013, this documentary follows the daily lives of two sheriffs, Volodymyr Rudkovskyy and Viktor Kryvoborodko, as they navigate the complexities of their small Ukrainian village. Operating out of a decrepit 40-year-old Lada, the pair spends their time mediating local disputes, managing vagrants in ramshackle buildings, and supporting petty criminals like Kolya and Vova in their attempts to reform their lives.

The narrative explores themes of ambition and social standing through Kolya, who dreams of a stable family life and a home of his own. After promising to leave behind his strange past habits, he is granted the deed to his deceased brother's house by Mayor Viktor Marunyak, though this move is met with hostility from skeptical neighbors.

As the political climate shifts, the village is disrupted by Serhiy, a young man promoting Russian World ideology and proposing that the community politically separate from Ukraine. While Viktor Marunyak views these antics as divisive, the tension escalates as the Russian annexation of Crimea and the War in Donbas begin. The atmosphere turns somber as Volodymyr Rudkovskyy and Viktor Kryvoborodko are tasked with delivering military draft notices, sparking fear and resistance among the locals.

By 2015, the reality of the conflict and the law takes a toll on the community. A rift forms between the sheriffs after Viktor Kryvoborodko reports Kolya for stealing a bicycle, leading to a 3.5-year prison sentence—a decision both officers later question. The film concludes with the May 9th victory celebrations, where the mayor reflects on the necessity of military service in the face of a new enemy, while the village continues to struggle with the lingering effects of war and poverty.