The Polish Question in the Russian Empire in the latest editions of the series Historia Rossica

Abstract

The review examines the books by Malte Rolf, Ekaterina Boltunova, and Darius Staliūnas, published in the Historia Rossica series by Novoe Literaturnoe Obozrenie in 2020–2022. The concepts and approaches used by the authors of the works are examined in the context of the established traditions of studying the Polish question in the Russian Empire that influence the Russian and Polish historiography. In the 19th century, Russian and Polish historians created antagonistic national narratives. In the 1950s–1960s, a tradition of studying Russian-Polish revolutionary connections as a key episode in the shared history of Russian and Polish peoples emerged in the Soviet Union and the People’s Republic of Poland. This narrative was an attempt to overcome traditional antagonism. Since the 1990s–2000s, Russian and Polish researchers have increasingly focused on the complex nature of the empire’s relations with its Polish subjects, which went beyond enmity and mutual distrust. In recent years, there has been a tendency to simplify the discussion and return to antagonistic narratives both in Polish and Russian historiography. The works of M. Rolf, E. M. Boltunova, and D. Staliūnas are in opposition to traditional conflicting narratives, and their original research positions allow for interesting questions about the complex nature of Russian-Polish relations in the imperial period.

Received: 17.07.2023.

Citation
Kretov V. A. The Polish Question in the Russian Empire in the latest editions of the series Historia Rossica // Slavic Almanac. 2024. No 1–2. P. 427–453 (in Russian). DOI: 10.31168/2073-5731.2024.1-2.22