Ukrainian Cossacks are shown composing a fiercely irreverent and gleefully abusive reply to an ultimatum from Sultan Mehmed IV, mocking his demand for submission with open contempt. Rather than formal resistance or martial heroics, their defiance takes the form of laughter, crude humour, and a torrent of insults, delivered with unshakeable pride. The Cossacks crowd around a scribe who, struggling to keep up, grins as he transcribes their outrageous dictation, while the others shout, jeer, and revel in their collective mirth. Repin fills the canvas with movement, noise, and boisterous character, using rich, earthy tones, vigorous brushwork, and sharply observed expressions to convey both the humour and the uncompromising spirit of a people who would rather ridicule their enemy than bow to him.