The 26-year-old was, however, on the point of writing his first realistic songs (including "Hopak" and "Darling Savishna", both of them composed in 1866 and among his first "real" publications the following year).
Meskipun demikian, usia 26 tahun merupakan saat dirinya menulis lagu-lagu "realistis" yang pertama (termasuk "Hopak" dan "Darling Savishna", keduanya ditulis pada 1866).