Carols and szczodryvkas upon the Bug river – biculturalism of the Polish-Ukrainian borderland
Carols and szczodryvkas upon the Bug river – biculturalism of the Polish-Ukrainian borderland

Summary/Abstract: Borders of states do not perfectly separate nations, religions and customs. I will illustrate this point with examples from eastern Poland, but it refers also to other regions of Europe. Even today, despite post-war relocation, the land to the left of the Bug river is inhabited not only by Catholic Poles, but also by the Ukrainian and Belorussian minorities, usually Orthodox Church members, while the right bank of the river, which has already become a certain symbol, is the homeland of not only Ukrainians and Belorussians, but also Catholic Poles1. It is also significant that a considerable part of the borderland’s inhabitants refuse to identify with a specific nationality. These people describe themselves as: locals, Orthodox Church Poles, speaking the local language. The reasons for such an attitude should be traced in the history of the discussed region.

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