Confronting Russian Aggression: Reality and Artistic Alternatives (The Case of Ukrainian and Polish Literature)

Abstract

The Russo-Ukrainian war has reignited interest in military literature. Ukrainian lite rature presents case studies related to the war and serves as evidence of writers resuming their roles as shapers of social discourse. Fictional texts composed after the extensive Russian invasion (February 2022) utilize artistic strategies and genre representations distinct from those employed in texts created during the initial phase of the war (February 2014 – February 2022).

The comprehensive comprehension and artistic portrayal of the reasons and forms of the northern neighbor’s military aggression find expression in the extended fiction works of Polish authors. Jacek Dukaj, Dorota Masłowska, and Ziemowit Szczerek provide their own artistically alternative approaches to confronting the Russian aggressor.