Polish Countermemories against the Russian Celebrations of the 50th Jubilee of the Peasant Reform in the Kingdom of Poland (1864-1914)

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Abstract

The paper will present how the Polish public opinion under the Russian imperial rule reacted to the government's celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the peasant reform (1864-1914). This jubilee was meant to "remind" the Polish peasants that it was the Russian tsar and administration, not the Polish elites, they should be loyal and grateful to. Despite the censorship, which was relaxed, but not absent, after 1905, the Polish legal and illegal publications intended to formulate a (rather critical) opinion towards these events. The presentation will analyze such reactions and speculate on their impact on the peasantry.

Author

• Łukasz Kożuchowski, U of Warsaw (Poland)