Between cooperation and conflict : Mykhailo Hrushevskyi through the eyes of Polish intellectuals of the late 19th and early 20th centuries

Abstract

This article reconstructs Polish intellectuals’ interpretations of M. Hrushevskyi’s multifaceted activities in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The evolution of Polish scholars’ attitudes towards Hrushevskyi;s concepts was examined in two main periods. The first period (late 1890s) was predominantly scientific, and it centered primarily on finding the most acceptable solutions to the presented issues. The second period (early 20th century) brought a substantial radicalization of Ukrainian and Polish national movements and led to the deterioration of Polish-Ukrainian relations in Eastern Galicia and the politicization of the historiographic discourse. At the same time, Polish scholars began to associate Hrushevskyi’s historiographic concepts with the conceptual framework of Ukrainian historical research during that period. The politicization of the Ukrainian-Polish historiographical discourse in the early 20th century reflected the general tension in the relations between the two neighboring nations on the eve of World War I. A dialogue metamorphosed into a monologue with the sole purpose of accumulating national grievances, which significantly obstructed the path to mutual understanding, as illustrated by the tragic events in our shared history in the first half of the 20th century.