Under Polish Eyes: Ukrainian Transformation(s) in Ziemowit Szczerek's Literary Reportages

• In Event: Developing Liberty: Dimensions of East Central Europe's Transformations in the 20th and 21st Centuries

Abstract

This presentation focuses on the nonfiction writings of Ziemowit Szczerek, a contemporary Polish writer and journalist, exploring his observations of contemporary Ukraine over the past decade. Szczerek immerses himself in various locales, from cities to small villages, shedding light on the ruptures and sociopolitical transformations evident among Ukrainians in the 21st century. While Szczerek resists the typically Western lens that views Ukraine primarily through a "post-Soviet" framework, he offers a more nuanced discussion of its past and present. However, it is argued that his nonfiction work also reflects a certain pattern, namely, the reminiscence of Poland's experiences in the 1990s, particularly the economic upheaval following the collapse of communism and Poland's rapid integration into Western structures such as NATO.

Author

• Aleksandra Konarzewska, U of Tübingen (Germany)