The Myth of Smolensk in the Polish Literature of XVII^th Century: The Case of Jan Kunowski

The study analyses several selected poetic works by Jan Kunowski (ca. 1592–1654) related to the city of Smolensk and the war between the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Muscovy (1632–1634), also referred to as the Smolensk War. Using this case study, the author presents the Smolensk’s place in the political awareness of the contemporary Polish nobility and discusses some themes exploited by modern propaganda devoted to this event.

Having a general sketch of the “myth of Smolensk” (that is the Polish narrative on this city before the war) as the starting point allows a deepened interpretation of Kunowski’s poems concerning the conflict alone, in which the representation of the city and the topics used by the poet change substantially. Thanks to individual interpretations the author exposes characteristic crucial points of the narrative and demonstrates how they work on two levels: of the propaganda and the myth.

The study analyses several selected poetic works by Jan Kunowski (ca. 1592–1654) related to the city of Smolensk and the war between the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Muscovy (1632–1634), also referred to as the Smolensk War. Using this case study, the author presents the Smolensk’s place in the political awareness of the contemporary Polish nobility and discusses some themes exploited by modern propaganda devoted to this event.
Having a general sketch of the “myth of Smolensk” (that is the Polish narrative on this city before the war) as the starting point allows a deepened interpretation of Kunowski’s poems concerning the conflict alone, in which the representation of the city and the topics used by the poet change substantially. Thanks to individual interpretations the author exposes characteristic crucial points of the narrative and demonstrates how they work on two levels: of the propaganda and the myth.