Polish-Ukrainian Cultural Dialogue in the Works of Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz

Ukraine as a Mythical Space, a Source of Inspiration, and a Domain of Asymmetrical Relations

Abstract

 The article explores the influence of Ukrainian culture on the works of Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz, portraying Ukraine as a mythical, spiritual, and aesthetic space. Hailing from the area that is now Ukraine, a region that in the past was home to a variety of Ukrainian, Polish, and Jewish communities, the writer crafted a literary vision of this land as a nostalgic and poetic landscape of childhood. The Ukrainian landscape functions as both a backdrop and an emotional carrier, yet
it seldom becomes a space for equal intercultural dialogue. Despite the presence of multicultural elements, Ukrainian and Jewish voices are frequently marginalised or silenced. Whilst earlier scholarship has focused primarily on the mythologization of Ukrainian space, this article posits that
Iwaszkiewicz, despite his genuine appreciation for Ukrainian culture, exemplifies an asymmetrical cultural relationship, wherein the prevailing perspective remains rooted in Polish cultural discourse. Nevertheless, his work provides valuable material for reflection on Polish-Ukrainian borderland
memory, the aestheticisation of the Other, and the mechanisms of cultural identity representation. The article calls for a re-evaluation of borderland literature in the context of contemporary Polish-Ukrainian relations and recent research on cultural borderlands.