Iliyana Genev-Pouhaleva has a PhD in comparative linguistics and lectures in Greek and Bulgarian languages at the University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland. She has authored books on Balkan culinary traditions. As a child Iliyana was in the lineup of the Radio Children choir at the Bulgarian National Radio. She has some acting experience but her great love are foreign languages.

In the context of a uniting Europe and its dynamic priorities, Iliyana brings a both foreign and insider look into Poland .

Revisiting history:

From end-18 c. to the First World War Poland was absent from the map of Europe for 123 years. It lost independence as its territory was broken down into three parts – the western part was annexed by Prussia, the eastern part – by Russia and the southern part by Austria-Hungary. To the present day these differences remain potent in both economic development and in the mentality of the population. Poland in fact became a nation-state in the aftermath of World War II. Poles from the eastern territories that had been handed over to the Soviet Union were deported to Western Poland. Poland’s death toll in WW2 came to six million of them 3 million Polish Jews. Germans who apart from Jews accounted for most of the urban population were deported after the war. As a result, the Polish nation today has only 3% in minority populations.

Now Iliyana says more about the things that Bulgarians and Poles share and about their common Slavic roots:

“Let me use a thesis of one of my favorite professors from Sofia University, Iskra Likomanova. She used to say that Bulgarians and Poles are not exotic to each other, because there are many things we have in common: starting from the Slavic roots dating back to the Middle Ages that have left a lasting vestige in the names of the phenomena of the Universe and a range of abstract notions in language. Later on, being jointly part of the Judeo-Christian culture is another point of integration. In recent history both countries have been part of the Soviet Bloc, and today, of the European Union. However, I tend to think that we differ more than we have in common, and the Slavic connection is no longer relevant.”

Now some insights into how Bulgarians and Poles differ:

Poland is a very big country, both in terms of territory and population exceeding 38 million. Emigration is ongoing there but the country also sees a higher birthrate compared to Bulgaria. Most families I know in Poland have two or three children. One great difference from Bulgaria is that Poland is a homogeneous country with about 97% identified as Polish and only 3% to minorities.”

In what way do Poles treat tradition and traditional culture?

“Bulgarians and Poles have different notions where tradition is concerned. In Bulgaria tradition is mostly about folklore that blends paganism with popular Christianity. In Poland tradition is strongly dominated by ecclesiastical law. It seems to me that Polish folklore is already on the verge of extinction and this stems from already mentioned historical circumstances – forceful migration in the aftermath of World War II.”

The Polish interpretation of the events of World War 2 and Polish attitudes to Germany and Russia:

The nation went through so much suffering during the war. As to Germany and Russia, I think that both are negative to the Poles and Polish culture, and have been trying to assimilate them from either West or East. The historic gesture of Willy Brandt in 1970 who spontaneously fell on his knees at the monument in the Warsaw ghetto is still remembered. In latest public opinion polls today despite the living memory of the war, Germans are definitely the nation that Poles favor most. Facts are quite harsh and a simple gesture of kneeling seems to me insufficient to entail forgiveness for millions of dead. I do not know what could have happened had Russia made a similar gesture of reconciliation.

English: Daniela Konstantinova