At a time when Poland is emphasizing its distance from Russia, PolishEncounters, Russian Identity points to the historical ties and mutual influences ofthese two great Slavic peoples. Whether Poland adopted a hostile or a friendlystance toward Russia, the intense responses of Russian thinkers, writers, andpolitical leaders to Poland and to Polish culture shaped Russians' idea ofthemselves and their place in the world. Countering the recent trend to deny therich interactions between Russia and Poland, this collection reminds readers thatthese longstanding, if often difficult, contacts constitute an important andenduring element in the consciousness of the peoples of bothcountries.
The contributors are Manon de Courten, Megan Dixon, Halina Goldberg, Leonid Efremovich Gorizontov, Irina Grudzinska, Beth Holmgren, Judith Deutsch Kornblatt, Matthew Pauly, Nina Perlina, Robert Przygrodski, David L.Ransel, Bozena Shallcross, Barbara Skinner, and Andrzej Walicki.