Opowieści stepowe. (Pisma prozą)

Abstract

The presented volume contains a wide presentation of the prose works of a writer, who – which needs to be said openly – has been completely forgotten in Polish culture. The whole life of Paulin Święcicki (1841–1876) was devoted to building bridges between Polish culture, from which he originated, and Russian and Ukrainian cultures that both influenced him in a very strong way. Thus, he took the difficult work to approach both cultures with a dialogic, open gesture. Initially, Święcicki translated literary texts from Polish into Ukrainian language. Then he wrote in both languages, so that at a certain time he published each work in two language versions. Long forgotten in Poland, he was remembered in Ukrainian culture, where his works written in the Ukrainian language were treated as a testimony allowing him to be classified as a “Ukrainian writer of Polish origin”. The Polish expert in his works, Dobrosława Świerczyńska, commented on this approach: “I am deeply convinced that this is an improper term and that Święcicki would never agree to that” (in her work: Paulin Święcicki. Dramat pisarza pogranicza (Paulin Święcicki. The tragedy of a borderland writer), “Pamiętnik Literacki” 1996, No. 1, p. 199). Nevertheless, the tragic gesture of a Polish ukrainophile obliges us to take a closer look at the life and works of a writer who existed in the difficult borderland between Poland and Ukraine. Obviously, maybe he should be read carefully both by Polish and Ukrainian audiences today, but while the Poles should bear in mind his deep affinity for Ukraine, Ukrainian readers should consider his choice of Polish identity and culture. Święcicki, better known under the pseudonym Paulin Stachurski, was one of the latest continuators of the traditions of the Ukrainian school in Polish Romanticism. Fascinated by Malczewski and Goszczyński, but also by Taras Shevchenko, Marko Vovchok, Gogol and Chernyshevski, he started his creative life with intensive translation work, “reworking” texts from Polish into Ukrainian and from Ukrainian into Polish, with some attempts to translate from Russian as well (Powieści mniejsze (Lesser Stories) by Nikolai Gogol, Lvov 1871). Disappointed with the lack of reaction to his translations, he gave up and, according to Ivan Franko “he escaped completely in Polish literature” (D. Świerczyńska, ibidem, p. 205). Since he was born, Święcicki had to struggle with being orphaned by his mother as a child, poverty, strict upbringing, lack of understanding, and tuberculosis. He was born in 1841 in the village Varshitsa and died in 1876, aged 35, of tuberculosis in Lvov. He wrote under the pseudonyms Paulin Stachurski, Pavlo Świj, Zorjan, Danil Lozovśky, Łozowski, Nie Bolesławita. He came from an aristocratic family. He wrote short stories, novels, articles, poems, literary criticism, and dramas in Polish and Ukrainian language. He translated numerous works from Polish into Ukrainian and from Ukrainian and Russian into Polish. As an experienced teacher of Polish and Ukrainian schools, he also wrote papers on language and grammar: Odmiana zaimków, rzecz językowo‑porównawcza (The declination of pronouns, a study in comparative linguistics, 1871; Mowa ludzka, jej układ pierwotny i budowa (Human speech: its primary arrangement and structure, 1873.This volume contains the main works in prose by Święcicki written in Polish language: Opowieści stepowe (Tales from the Steppe) (1871), novels Przed laty. Powieść ukraińska (Years ago. A Ukrainian Novel) (1866), Moskal. Powieść z ostatnich czasów (The Russian. A Story from Recent Times) (1867), Trójka. Powieść (Three. A Novel) (1868), as well as a travel report Wycieczka do Pionin (A Trip to Pionin (1869)). The Annexe presents some comments of Polish writers and literary theoreticians on the works of Święcicki. The Polish expert in his works, Dobrosława Świerczyńska, summed up his literary works in the quoted article: "Święcicki doubtlessly died with a sense of defeat. He had not managed to bring the related languages and cultures closer, he had probably not even succeeded in evoking a more friendly approach to Ukrainian culture and to Ukrainian strive for independence in Polish cultural elites. On the other hand, Ukrainians from Galicia criticised him for… excessive polonophilia, nearly a betrayal of Ukrainian culture and even a will to subordinate it to Polish culture! It is likely that Święcicki wanted to be – and he was – a Polish and Ukrainian writer, not a “Ukrainian writer of Polish origin”. A major part of his works was written in Polish. He identified with the Polish literary circles, which, in turn, accused him of excessive Ukrainophilia". The volume was prepared by: Krzysztof Korotkich, PhD., hab. – a scientist specialising in Romanticism from the Department of Comparative Cultural Studies of the Białystok University; Professor Rościsław Radyszewski – Head of the Department of Polish Studies of the Kiev National University of Taras Shevchenko, Krzysztof Rutkowski, PhD. – specialist in Russian studies from the College of Linguistics of the Białystok University and Professor Jarosław Ławski from the Department of Philological Studies “East – West” editor in chief of the “Black Romanticism” series. The edition is part of the project under the National Programme for the Development of Humanities, entitled “The continuation of critical editions of outstanding yet forgotten works of 19th century literature in the Academic Series of Publications ‘Black Romanticism in twelve volumes’ ” initiated in 2017 by Prof. Halina Krukowska (1937–2019). The project is realised in the years 2018–2022 by the Department of Philological Studies “East – West” (the current Project Manager is Piotr Stasiewicz, PhD., hab.). The “Black Romanticism” editorial project is classified as a unique research project (so far 50 volumes of editions and monographies have been published in the series).