„Kraj (...) wielce zajmujący dla historii i literatury”, „baśniowy niemal obszar” – Mickiewiczowska wizja Ukrainy w Prelekcjach paryskich

Abstract

The article presents an extensive, in-depth analysis of Mickiewicz’s (1798–1855) views on Ukraine and the Ukrainian lands, delivered during his 4-year lectures at the Collège de France (1840–1844). The historical and literary approaches to this topic respectively focus on bringing out key events in Ukrainian history (up to a certain point closely linked to the fate of the First Polish Republic) and the idiomatic features of the literature produced in this cultural area. From a historiosophical perspective, on the other hand, the Ukrainian question appears not so much as an autonomous topic, but rather one situated at the intersection of two fundamental opposing extremes: Slavic vs. Asian spirit, Europe vs. Russia. The importance of Ukraine is determined, according to Mickiewicz, by its location at the point of collision between these two civilisational models and two radically different political and mental perspectives. Of course, all of Mickiewicz’s general statements about the characteristics and mission of Slavism also apply to Ukraine, which is an integral part of it.