Between a Sense of Inferiority and Cultural-Religious Imperialism: On the Seemingly Dichotomous Images of the Caucasus in Poland

Abstract

This article analyses two images of the Caucasus and its population that function within Polish society. The first is that of the fearless warrior in armed struggle against Russia, towards which Poles harboured an inferiority complex in both the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The second image, marked by Polish cultural and religious imperialism, is that of barbarian peoples of the Caucasus, among whom the Poles saw themselves as carrying out a civilizing mission. The article demonstrates that Russia played a key role in the creation of both images, alongside the Poles’ conception of themselves as the Antemurale Christianitatis that protects Europe against the threat emanating from the East. The article also considers the extent to which the images in question are unique to Polish society and the extent to which they may be placed in a broader, European context.