O Kraszewskim kresowym uwag kilka
A Few Notes on Kraszewski’s Polish Eastern Borderlands

Summary/Abstract: Kraszewski - the most prolific Polish writer - was raised and spent most of his adult life on the territories belonging at that time, to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which he considered an integral part of Poland and the Polish political system. Dozens of his novels are devoted to the history and the present state of his “Lithuanian” Podlasie, Grodno and Vilnius areas, soon also Polesie, Wołyn´ and Podole; in other words, all these lands which are considered today former Polish territories. He felt a strong undisguised affection to this region, to Podlasie and to Grodno “Lithuania” in particular. As his familiarity with them was increasing, he also included Mazowsze, Wielkopolska, Pomorze, Małopolska and Ruś Czerwona in his scope of interest. He portrayed and valued the multiethnic unity of the country, where under the same sun - as he pointed out - people of different beliefs and customs had co-existed peacefully for centuries and had treated each other as neighbours. Writing about the past and the present of his native realm, about the drama of living in captivity, he refrained from easy reassurance. He was telling his people not only the stories which they wanted to hear. He also told the bitter truth about their weaknesses, mistakes, and sins, about the mortal sins of the Polish nobility as to the common people in particular. Thus, his Polish Eastern Borderlands are not solely an idyllic realm.

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