Trzydziestoletnia (nie)obecność. Przekłady polskiej literatury XX wieku w periodykach ukraińskich „Wseswit” i „Ji”
Thirty Years of (Non)presence: Translations of 20th-Century Polish Literature in the Ukrainian Periodicals “Vsesvit” and “Yi”

Summary/Abstract: This article explores the reception of translations of 20th-century Polish literature in leading Ukrainian periodicals. Given the difficult state of the national publishing market during the first fifteen years of independence, these journals became the primary – and in some cases, remain the only – venue for the publication of many works by modern Polish writers. The selection of titles – “Vsesvit,” “Yi,” “Potiah 76,” and “Kyivska Rus” – reflects their distinct editorial missions, each offering a different perspective on their role during a period of national cultural upheaval. Most of the texts published in these journals engaged with political, social, and cultural issues, fuelling vital debates among Ukrainian intellectuals about key post-Soviet geopolitical and cultural questions. By providing a systematic description and detailed inventory of these translations, this study reveals the mechanisms behind the formation of the Ukrainian canon of neighbouring literatures. Organized chronologically, it highlights the shifting dynamics of this reception, which in turn mirrors broader changes in value systems and civilizational orientations within Ukrainian society after 1991. In the early 1990s, translations often focused on works challenging the Soviet totalitarian legacy. From the mid-1990s, attention shifted toward texts exploring national and cultural transformations in post-Soviet countries, their civilizational encounters, and a sense of belonging and dialogue with tradition. Only from the early 21st century has this spectrum expanded to include Polish publications addressing the complex process of post-communist countries integrating into Europe, including the phenomenon of Central and Eastern Europe and European identity.

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