Poland – Ukraine: A Shared History, Divergent Meanings
Did “Rus'” mean the same in Kyiv and Kraków? How did the meanings of terms like “Moscow,” “intelligentsia,” or “Rzeczpospolita” change over the course of the 19th century? And why is understanding these differences so important for today’s Polish-Ukrainian dialogue?
On June 5 in Warsaw, an international academic conference “The Evolution of Concepts in the Polish–Ukrainian Intellectual Dialogue (1831–1918)” took place. This gathering of leading historians from Poland, Ukraine, and Canada was not only an exchange of research and perspectives — it is also a step toward creating a shared vocabulary of memory: a tool that may help both nations understand each other better.
Toward a shared lexicon of memory
The event was part of a broader research initiative: the Dictionary of Terms in Polish-Ukrainian Historical Discourse. The project aims to examine how core historical concepts are used and understood in both countries. Though they often refer to similar events or ideas, their meanings can vary significantly. The dictionary is intended to support better mutual understanding and reduce the influence of oversimplified or misleading narratives in public debate. The publication, expected next year, is based on the methodology of conceptual history (Begriffsgeschichte) and will serve historians, educators, and anyone writing about the past.
Three Panels, Dozens of Concepts, One Shared Reflection
The conference consisted of three thematic panels focusing on concepts that are fundamental to both historical scholarship and public understanding. Particular attention was be given to terms rooted in 19th-century national movements, as well as those relevant to current debates about historical memory and interpretation.
Selected speakers included:
- Professor Andriy Zayarnyuk (University of Winnipeg) – a renowned Canadian historian specialising in the social and cultural history of 19th and 20th-century Ukraine. He is the author of several works on Galicia and peasant identity, and co-author of The Intellectual Foundations of Modern Ukraine: The Nineteenth Century.
- Dr hab. Magdalena Nowak, Professor at the University of Gdańsk – expert in Polish–Ukrainian relations and the history of Catholic Churches in the 19th and early 20th centuries. She is the author of Two Worlds, a monograph on the national identity of Archbishop Andrey Sheptytsky.
- Dr hab. Natalia Starchenko (Institute of History of Ukraine, NASU) – historian specialising in the political and social history of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and the nobility; author of Ukrainian Worlds of the Commonwealth.
- Dr Johannes Remy (Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada) – author of key studies on the national movements within the Russian Empire, including Brothers or Enemies: The Ukrainian National Movement and Russia from the 1840s to the 1870s.
Their presentations focused on concepts such as “Rus’”, “Ukrainian”, “Intelligentsia”, “Rzeczpospolita”, “Moscow” and “Russia”, offering insight into the evolving meanings of these terms in changing political and cultural contexts.
