Przegląd Wschodnioeuropejski

Russian secret services in the so-called special operation in Ukraine

Mirosław Minkina — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

This article deals with the role of the Russian Federation’s secret services in the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. The author explains the facts and regularities regarding the activity of the Russian secret services in this war. The research was performed from a positivist and post-positivist perspective and takes into consideration the so-called mainstream theories. For its purposes, a system analysis was included as well as references were made to the genesis of the Russian secret services, giving consideration to the space of the post-Soviet states. In addition, an in-depth study of the activity of the Russian special services, bearing in mind the key facts and methods of their operation were conducted. It confirmed the weakness of the Russian secret services. At the same time, the aftermath of this state of affairs is the increase in the importance of military intelligence.

The “Russian World” concept in the Ukrainian media discourse: some of the key narratives

Anastassiya Starodubtseva — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The “Russian world” concept is constantly employed in political and media discourse. Despite its active use, no single comprehensive definition exists in scientific literature. In this study, a brief version of the “Russian world” term conceptualization was presented, including two categorical series of semantic formations (social groups and value systems) and three axiological conceptual functions of the “Russian world”. In addition, newly formed narratives in connection with the Russian-Ukrainian war encountered only within the framework of Ukrainian discourse were identified. As research material, Russian and Ukrainian-language texts from the Ukrainian media reflecting the consequences of Russia’s military actions on the territory of Ukraine through the prism of the “Russian world” concept were adopted. The work was conducted applying semantic analysis, contextual analysis, and the substitution method.

The concept of war of the Russian Federation. Military instruments in the Russian power policy in 2014

Malina Kaszuba — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Ogólnorosyjski Front Ludowy w systemie politycznym Federacji Rosyjskiej w latach 2011-2022

Rafał Czachor — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

In recent years, the Russian concept of war has evolved significantly. Its aim is to seek a change in the global balance of power. The subject of discussion in this article is the issue of war in the Russian military doctrine, the specificity of the hybrid war, the probability of Russian military intervention, and the question of building strategic independence. The author used a complementary cognition paradigm that allows combining the process of cognition with the functions of science. The considerations focused on the activities related to the annexation of Crimea in 2014.The research presents the Russian perspective of contemporary armed conflict which examines the experience of the Russian armed forces and the particularity of modern military operations. The key elements of the hybrid war were identified and the basis of Russian strategic independence which the ruling elite, in fact, was striving to achieve, was indicated. From the Russian point of view with regard to the armed conflict, there is a conviction that it is necessary to comprehensively use military, political and economic information as well as asymmetric actions. Russia is systematically rebuilding its armed forces since it has ambitions to play a significant role in the international environment; and the armed forces facilitate: articulating its opinions, deterring, and demonstrating its importance.

The evolution of terrorism in Russia in the years 2015-2022. Quantitative analysis of the phenomenon

Marta Stempień — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

In the years 2015-2021, Russia’s rank in Global Terrorism Index became lower every year. In 2015 and 2016, it was classified as third among the European countries, behind Ukraine and France. In the following period (2017-2021), the United Kingdom also found itself ahead of Russia, which fell to the fourth position. The present article has the form of a quantitative analysis. The research goal is to identify trends related to terrorism that take place in the Russian Federation in the years 2015-2022 (in some parts, the analysis covers the time span between 2015 and 2021, due to lack of data). According to the hypothesis: The phenomenon of terrorism in Russia is closely related to the activities of jihadist organizations, and groups with a different profile pose a marginal threat. Quantitative analysis of the attacks conducted in the analyzed period will enable the verification of the hypothesis and determine the prospects for the development of this aspect.

Przemiany polityczno-ustrojowe w Federacji Rosyjskiej w okresie pierwszej prezydentury Władimira Putina (2000-2008) – zagadnienia wybrane

Jerzy Szukalski — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Legal-political changes in the Russian Federation during the first presidency of Vladimir Putin, covering the years 2000-2008, are the subject of the article. The study first focuses on the strengthening of executive power, both at the central and regional levels, consolidating the power camp and shaping the political system of the state. In the period under analysis, the powers of the President of the Russian Federation were increased, the Federation Council was weakened, control over the regions was strengthened, and a number of rights and freedoms of citizens were limited. In his actions, Putin relied on the power ministries and secured the loyalty of the State Duma and the oligarchs. The United Russia party became his political base. Putin’s political opponents and competitors were ruthlessly eliminated from political life. An analysis of the features of the political system of the Russian Federation indicates that it had become an authoritarian state.

Текстоспецифические способы словообразования в русском и немецком языках (сравнение фикциональных и фактуальных текстов)

Elizaveta Kotorova — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

This article seeks to determine whether different kinds of word formation can serve as a criterion for the classification and characterization of different text types and to what extent this criterion is dependent on a particular language. In order to demonstrate the role of word formation, the study analyzes fictional texts (fairy tales) and factual texts (instruction manuals) with respect to what kinds and types of word formation are specific for these types of texts in Russian and German. The analysis shows that although the text-distinguishing function of kinds of word formation is manifested in both languages, in Russian it is expressed to a lesser extent than in German. The reason for this is that the basic kinds of word formation are less evenly distributed in the Russian language than in German.

Analiza statystyczna polsko-ukraińskiego interjęzyka – najtrudniejsze miejsca polskiej fleksji dla osób ukraińskojęzycznych

Dominika Izdebska-Długosz — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

This paper presents part of a statistical analysis (SPSS) of the Polish-Ukrainian interlanguage which is currently being conducted. The presented part of the research pertains to the most difficult forms from the morphological level of the Polish language for speakers of Ukrainian who learn Polish as a foreign language, regardless of their declared level of language proficiency (A1+ ‒ B2+). The analyses presented in the article are of a qualitative nature. The questionnaire for the research into the interlanguage contained both correct and wrong forms (i.e. interferential forms extracted from the previous author’s corpus-based error analyses) – the respondent had to decide which form was correct. Therefore, the study concerns language intuition. The results of the research are convergent with the analyses of actual errors made by Ukrainians in their written assignments, which constitutes a motivation for further statistical analyses of the interlanguage with the use of the same research tool.

Aleksander Łappa (1802-1869) – ostatni marszałek szlachty guberni mińskiej z wyboru. Część II: Gubernialny marszałek szlachty (1859-1863)

Yury Snapkouski — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Alexander Łappa held the rank of the Minsk Governorate Marshal of Nobility during a period of widespread social transformations in the Russian Empire and a national and political crisis in the Kingdom of Poland and the Western Governorates. Trying to promote his multifaceted program of reforms in the Belarusian-Lithuanian lands, he relied on deep dialogue with the liberal bureaucratic circles of the Imperial Government and, at the same time, rejected conspiratorial, armed and other kinds of adventurous forms of the national liberation struggle. The polarization among the nobles of the Minsk Governorate increased after the scandalous Noble Elections of 1862. It was aggravated after the outbreak of the January Uprising in the Kingdom of Poland and, connected with it, the growing repressive policy of the civil and military authorities. All of these factors caused Łappa to lose influence in the socio-political life of the nobility and voluntarily resign from his position as marshal.

Katolicy i prawosławni w anegdocie kresowej z przełomu XIX i XX wieku. Kilka refleksji o historii zawartej w ówczesnym humorze i dowcipie

Roman Jurkowski — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The article is an attempt to determine to what degree historical anecdotes can be used in scientific historical research. Several selected anecdotes relating to denominational and religious issues occurring in the Taken Lands at the end of the 19th and at the beginning of the 20th century are analyzed. The author shows that this type of information can only be of a supporting nature in scientific research. Nevertheless, they cannot be omitted because they are valuable research material for the personal characteristics of given historical figures.

Plany oblężenia Kamieńca Podolskiego w 1672 roku

Leszek Opyrchał, Justyna Recław-Mastronardi — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The article discusses two undated, handwritten plans for the Kamieniec Podolski fortress in 1672. The first plan (Paris) has descriptions in French and Turkish and shows the location of individual Ottoman units during the siege of Kamieniec Podolski in 1672. The second plan (Bologna) is very similar to the Paris plan. It was provided with a legend made later in Italian, but its contents do not indicate the date of its creation. A comparison of the view of the fortifications (the Black Tower and the Turkish Bridge) with other plans shows that the Bologna plan is an unfinished copy of the Paris plan and was made between the years 1672-1685, most likely after the fortress was conquered by the Ottoman army in 1672. This is evidenced by the minarets located in the city.

Wokół układu Piłsudski-Petlura. Porozumienie w świetle publikacji wybranych tytułów polskiej prasy codziennej

Mariusz Korzeniowski — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The present study analyzes the reaction of the subjectively selected titles of the daily Polish press to the signing of the Pilsudski-Petlura agreement. The article examines the consequences of the pact for the concerned parties and the significance of the treaty for the formation of the relations between the Second Polish Republic and Bolshevik Russia, and thus for the Polish government’s Eastern policy. The article also explores the extent of the publicists’ knowledge of the course of the talks between Poland and the Ukrainian People’s Republic.

“An internal matter for the Soviet Union”. The attitude of the Polish Embassy in Moscow towards problems with changing the citizenship of Polish repatriates from the depths of the Soviet Union in 1945

Wojciech Marciniak — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

After concluding the Polish-Soviet repatriation agreement (6 July 1945), the Soviet Union (the USSR) started preparing for the evacuation of Polish exiles: victims of the Soviet deportation from the years 1940–1941. It soon became apparent that those who wanted to return to Poland were required to undergo the procedure of changing citizenship. The exiles had to prove they had been Polish citizens prior to 17 September 1939. The majority of them did not have the documents that could confirm this, thus, the planned repatriation was under threat. In the autumn of 1945, the Polish Embassy in Moscow took action to make the procedure of changing citizenship easier, and finally mass repatriation began.

Impact of dividends and capital intensity of labour on real wages in post-communist economies

Zdeněk Pikhart, Pavel Procházka — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

This paper aims to verify gains and losses from foreign direct investment as well as outflow of capital in the form of dividends from Central and Eastern Europe. The topic of dividend outflow is currently at the centre of political as well as media interest. At the same time, it is prone to simplistic interpretations and possible political intervention might exert a significant negative social impact. The contemporary economic theory and empirical research are in relative consensus on the positive effects of foreign investment. Most notably, it increases capital endowment of labour. However, the questions that have not yet been resolved are the rate of intensity, phases and channels of foreign capital flows. The effect of foreign investment during the different phases of foreign life-cycle is practically unexplored. The need for this type of research does not arise in Western Europe’s economies as they are in a position of creditor compared to Central and Eastern Europe. Therefore, the article examines whether the outflow of dividends is associated with the deterioration of aggregate demand or an increase of export capacities. Through the panel regression method, these relationships are captured in Western Europe’s economies and compared with the Central and Eastern Europe’s economies. The effect of capital intensity and dividend outflow on real wages in the post-communist countries was examined. The findings break down the myth portrayed in the media concerning the cost of dividend outflow and, on the contrary, they confirm substantial benefits stemming from the capital inflow. Late stages of foreign investment cycle connected with dividend outflow do not bear any adverse effects. The high profitability of foreign-controlled enterprises is in line with the favourable wage development of domestic labour force.

Uwarunkowania rozwoju stosunków finansowo-kredytowych krajów bloku radzieckiego z Zachodem w latach 80. XX wieku

Zbigniew Klimiuk — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Economic relations between Comecon countries led by the Soviet Union (communist bloc) and OECD countries (Western Europe, the USA, Canada and Japan) in the 1980s were characterized by deep stagnation in all areas of mutual cooperation. This was due to many negative factors interconnected in a short time. They were very diverse in terms of nature, range and durability of impact. The article contains an analysis of the development of the financial and credit relations of the Soviet bloc countries with the West in the 1980s in the existing political and economic conditions of East-West relations. The financial and credit dependence of the socialist countries was very clear and intense at that time. Its elimination or reduction as a result of the development of connections in other directions was only partially possible. Its negative impact also covered areas vital for individual economies. In addition, it was of a long-term nature, which made this type of dependence useful as an economic instrument for political purposes, both in the aspect of short-term and long-term pressure on the implementation of political intentions. When analyzing the entirety of East-West economic contacts, one cannot omit the problem of the debt of the Comecon countries, which largely determines the development of all areas of cooperation. In the 1980s, in Comecon-OECD credit relations, two trends clearly intersected: negative and positive. A negative trend was manifested in the increase in debt burdening the economies of many Central and Eastern European countries. This was caused by an increase in payment liabilities for servicing debts resulting from the postponement of loan repayment dates.

Polityczne konteksty twórczości Tadeusza Micińskiego. Sprawa polska a Rosja w dobie Wielkiej Wojny

Sławomir Sobieraj — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The general purpose of the article is to show Tadeusz Miciński’s attitude to Polish – Russian relations during the First World War, with a particular emphasis on Polish independence issues. After a detailed analysis of Miciński’s literary and journalistic works from that period, the evolution of his views is identified in this range. The article shows that his favorable attitude towards Russia in the first two years of the war resulted from his belief that the tsar`s empire was able to guarantee Polish autonomy. Miciński shared the idea of a Slavic community to defeat the German enemy. He put his faith in the feasibility of Russian promises included in the statement of Grand Duke Nikolay from 1914. Moreover, Miciński relied on the Triple Entente of the UK, France and Russia, which was supposed to be the guarantor of defeating the Central Powers, and above all, Germany. Additionally, there is a description of Miciński’s attitude to post-revolutionary Russia, his hope for the democratization of the country and later disappointment that was caused by the Bolshevik coup. Miciński warned his compatriots of succumbing to ideas spread by Lenin. It has been shown that Miciński, in his views, was always a supporter of independent Poland over party divisions

Nadchodzący świat 1923-2123 Jakowa Okuniewa w kontekście tradycji utopii literackiej

Patryk Witczak — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

This article analyzes the novel The Coming World 1923-2123 by the Soviet fantasy writer Yakov Okuniev in the context of the tradition of literary utopia. Referring to the classic texts of Plato, More and Russian utopians, it has been shown that the world created by Okuniev has all the basic features of a typical utopia: symmetry and harmoniousness of architecture, lack of private property, equality before the law, and the cult of work. Although the citizens of the future world are ostensibly free, in practice they are tightly controlled and must act for the good of the collective. Such ideas appeared in socialist realist literature. Okuniev’s work can be treated as a communist utopia which praises the ideas promoted by the Bolsheviks. Okuniev believed in the possibility of making his project a reality, hoping to spread communist ideas throughout the world.

Three Generations of Belarusian Historical Fiction in Prose and Verse: Inspiration and Iconoclasm

Arnold McMillin — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Beginning with attempts to deny or repress the very idea of Belarusian history, this article is devoted the use of historical themes by three generations of Belarusian writers, with the youngest first and ending with three from the middle generation who, as a rule, do not show the influence of their elders on themselves, nor do they seem greatly to influence the younger writers. All ages, however, are engaged in the same struggle to counter the anti-historical ideas propagated by the leadership of their country, and the younger writers bring a sometimes unusual, indeed iconoclastic, approach to this important task.

Art in protest discourses – on the example of the Belarusian anti-government protest movement

Aleksander Kiklewicz, Julia Mazurkiewicz-Sułkowska, Helena Pociechina — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

In protest discourses the problem of using aesthetic and artistic elements lies in the centre of attention. The authors draw empirical material from the Belarusian protest movement, especially the anti-government protests of 2020. In the current study the problem of the use of aesthetic elements in protest discourses is considered in two aspects: 1) in the aspect of artistic activism, i.e. the involvement of artists in resistance activities; 2) in terms of the use of aesthetic speech acts in various forms of protest activity, i.e. as a special rhetorical tool with emphatic and persuasive function, but also as a means of expression with the satisfying function. As a result of this dichotomy, the article is divided into two parts. The authors point out that even though public art is not developed in Belarus (e.g. in the field of visual arts), aesthetic creativity is a very characteristic feature of both street poster discourses and forms of protest in the Internet.

Czy potrzebna jest nowa historia literatury rosyjskiej XX wieku?

Piotr Fast — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

This paper consists of an analysis of the newest synthesis of 20th Century Russian literature published in Poland, written by Vasiliy Shchukin, a scholar affiliated with Jagiellonian University in Kraków. The author of the analysis shows how subjective and sometimes unprofessional some parts of the analyzed book are.

Wybrane koncepcje architektoniczno-wystawiennicze pawilonów narodowych krajów Europy Wschodniej na targach World Expo 2000-2020 w kontekście kreacji wizerunku narodowego

Krzysztof Bizio — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

This article examines the architectural and exhibition concepts of the national pavilions of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Belarus and Ukraine, which were created for the purposes of the World Expo exhibitions in the years 2000-2020 in the context of the promoted national image. After 1991 and the collapse of the USSR, the countries of Eastern Europe began the process of creating their own national images, in which the World Expo exhibitions became one of the most important platforms for international presentations. The article discusses selected exhibition strategies presented by these countries at six exhibitions: World Expo 2000 in Hanover, World Expo 2005 in Aichi, World Expo 2010 in Shanghai, World Expo 2015 in Milan and World Expo in Dubai 2020. The analysis of solutions was carried out from the perspective of searching for unique forms that distinguish the concepts of individual pavilions. The result of the research was the specification of the tendencies that distinguish pavilions of Eastern European countries from other solutions.

Слово и немота в русской (пост)культуре. Кысь Татьяны Толстой

Alexandra Filimonova, Shara Mazhitaeva — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

This article analyzes the use of intertextuality as one of the ways to explicate the concept of a “book” in the novel The Slynx by Tatyana Tolstaya. Introducing the texts of the previous culture is considered a genre characteristic of the dystopian discourse. Using the example of Pushkin’s text presented in the novel in various forms, some techniques and functions of contextual transformation of the “book word” are analyzed. Modal and semantic reaccentuation of important elements of the language reality, on the one hand, destroys the logocentric paradigm of Russian culture and reveals the consequences of the cultural rupture and further obliteration. On the other hand, it provides the unity of a national linguistic and cultural universe. Searching to discover the constants of the national mentality, the novel shows the indissoluble connection between spiritual search and violence. The usurpation of the words of the past culture turns into cultural and spiritual dumbness.

Wojsko Polskie w składzie Zjednoczonych Sił Zbrojnych Układu Warszawskiego w końcowym okresie jego funkcjonowania

Wiesław Łach — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The Warsaw Pact (UW) was an instrument of the Soviet Union’s military influence on the so-called Eastern Bloc during the confrontation of the East with the West. The purpose of this article is to present the activity of the Polish Armed Forces in the composition of the United Forces of the Warsaw Pact in the 1980s (in the final period of its operation). The most important fact was the lack of operational independence of Poland, which was limited by the Soviet Union. Due to the changing political and economic situation, the Polish authorities saw no point in further participation in the “Allied” organization, which was dissolved on July 1, 1991. The most complete study on the subject is a publication by J. Pałka (2022) which presents the operational participation of the Polish Army in the Warsaw Pact based on the archival sources of the Central Archives of the Military Historical Bureau.

Współczesne wyzwania dla bezpieczeństwa Polski w kontekście rosyjskich działań w regionie Europy Środkowo-Wschodniej

Klaudia Jagusiak — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The purpose of this article is to identify the contemporary security challenges that Poland faces in the context of activities undertaken by the Russian Federation in the region of Central and Eastern Europe. The presented conclusions are a consequence of the research carried out by the diagnostic survey method, with the use of the expert interview technique. This article was written based on research that focused on the security of the Baltic states and Poland, with particular emphasis on the aggressive policies of the Russian Federation. The findings of this research were used to inform the discussion about Poland’s security in the article. The main research problem involves identifying the security challenges that Poland faces in relation to Russian activities in Central and Eastern Europe.