Znaczenie polskiej koronacji 1025 roku dawniej i dziś
The significance of the Polish coronation of 1025 in the past and today

Summary/Abstract: The article explains the geopolitical circumstances and consequences of the coronation of the first king of Poland, Bolesław Chrobry (the Brave), in 1025, emphasizing the monarch’s bold and orward-looking actions in the region, carried out in correlation with the Christian and European project of the then emperor, Otto III. The Emperor of Europe treated the state of his Polish friend as the embodiment of Sclavinia, one of the four sisters of the common European family of nations. The authors contrast Poland’s prominent position at that time, with its accompanying deep symbolism and high moral standards for public figures, with the conclusions drawn from the modest commemoration of the event today, a thousand years later. Contemporary Polish political elites are condemned to balancing between social expectations to embody Poland’s thousand-year mission as an important cocreator of the European project and the position of contemporary powers, which do not foresee such a role for Poland. The role that Poland played in the days of a common Christian Europe has been ceded by contemporary powers to Russia. When the war in Ukraine comes to an end, Russia, regardless of the scale of its violation of international law, will remain the expected partner of the powers in building a renewed order on the eastern edge of Europe. The article raises questions about the consequences of the rift between the realm of symbols and the realm of political practice, as well as about the credibility of political elites in international relations.

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