Sulla ricezione della letteratura ucraina in Polonia (1989-2021): contesti, cesure, fenomeni

On the Reception of Ukrainian Literature in Poland (1989-2021): Contexts, Turning Points, Phenomena. The article explores the reception of translated Ukrainian literature in Poland over the last thirty years taking into consideration its systemic nature, political contexts and social background. From a methodological point of view the text is informed principally by polysystem theory, Bourdieu’s sociology and aesthetic of reception. Firstly, the author presents a brief overview of the reception of Ukrainian literature at the time of Socialist Poland which is indispensable for understanding later developments. Then, the statistical data are summarised considering separately works, writers, publishing houses, translators and the languages translated (mostly Ukrainian, but in a few cases also Russian). The whole thirty-year period under examination is divided into two distinct phases whose watershed is represented by the “orange revolution” in Ukraine in 2004-2005. The period between 1989 and 2004 witnessed a slow change due to the agency of a small group of cultural actors whose work countered the pre-existing stereotypes and promoted contemporary literature. The “orange revolution” has had a profound effect on Ukraine’s image in Poland and, moreover, has linked closely the reception of literary texts to political situation. In fact, it is argued that after 2004 large-scale political events in Ukraine have been the essential contexts for the reception of its literature, especially considering the authors and works being noticed on the Polish national market. After the “orange revolution” Ukrainian literature moved from a marginal position within the field to a more dynamic semiperipheral one it occupies today.