Ukrainian Themes in the Legacy of Antoni Malczewski

Abstract

This article analyzes the Ukrainian themes in the works of Antoni Malczewski, focusing on his poetic novel Maria: A Ukrainian Tale. The study aims to identify the specific features of the artistic interpretation of Ukraine as a historical, cultural, and symbolic space, outlining the key images and motifs that shape the Romantic vision of the Ukrainian lands. The analysis examines the historical context of the poem, the image of the steppe as a dominant element of the poetic world, and the intertwining motifs of Cossackdom, freedom, fatalism, and the tragic nature of human destiny. Particular attention is devoted to the symbolic meaning of the Ukrainian space, presented as a borderland between civilization and elemental forces, as well as between life and death. Furthermore, the study addresses the ideological limitations of the era, specifically the perception of Ukraine through the prism of the Polish Kresy (Borderlands) tradition. The article concludes that Maria constructs a complex, mythologized, and multidimensional model of Ukraine, which significantly influenced the formation of the Romantic image of the Ukrainian space in Polish literature and remains highly relevant in contemporary literary studies.