Aspetti areali negli studi di slavistica: Polonia e dintorni

Abstract

Polish and East Central European Area Studies in the Last Two Decades

In Western Slavic countries one may observe changes similar to those of the other Eastern European countries. Scholars have introduced new themes to investigate, they published many new texts and translations of Western books. This cultural evolution took place in Poland [and the Czech Republic] in a less dramatic way than in the Balkan or ex-Soviet areas. Czechs and Poles, political difficulties notwithstanding, have always fostered strong ties with Western tradition. The author focuses on two main aspects: the growing interest in East Central European area studies and the Polish-Ukrainian relationships in the past and present. Interest in East Central Europe has a long history, having begun with the Independence of Poland and Czechoslovakia after WWI. It was less .fashionable. in the Communist period, but has become very important immediately after 1990 as a possible alternative to the European choice. The entry of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary into the European Union does not diminish the importance of the idea of a regional East Central European community. On the contrary, the cultural integration within East Central Europe is very important for its relationship to Western Europe on the one hand and Ukraine on the other. In the last two decades Poland has made enormous efforts to investigate Ukrainian culture and to construct cultural bridges towards Ukraine. As many new publications show, Poland.s efforts concentrate both on re-thinking its own role and attitudes towards Ukraine in the past and on disseminating Ukrainian literature in Poland. Thus, Poland plays a leading role in the cultural activity of Eastern Europe and in the organisation of relationships between East Central and Western Europe, and between Ukraine, Russia and Europe as well. It is hard to say whether Ukraine will be included in the East Central European cultural (and political) area. Its integration depends on many factors, internal and external to Ukraine and Poland. But it is important that the interest in these delicate problems continues in Poland, Ukraine and Western Europe at the level of cultural activity and in historical, literary and linguistic studies. This paper reviews some of the main trends and provides bibliographical information about new publications dealing with these problems in various languages.