2025/08/25 by Mianowska, Joanna
#Giedroyc #Russia #Ukraine #russian emigration #russian literature
paper · doi:10.34858/polilog.15.2025.441
In the Literary Labyrinth of Jerzy Giedroyc (Ukrainian and Russian Vector of Views of the Editor and Publicist) This article explores the literary preferences and ideological positions of Jerzy Giedroyc, the renowned editor of the Paris-based émigré magazine Kultura, emphasizing his role as a visionary mediator in the complex dialogue of cross-national cooperation during the Cold War. Adopting a qualitative methodology grounded in primary source analysis—including Giedroyc’s Autobiography for Four Hands, his extensive correspondence with fi gures like Józef Czapski, and selected issues of Kultura—the study interprets his editorial strategy as a “labyrinth,” a multi-layered journey through time, space, literature, and political ideologies that connected Eastern Europe and the West. The analysis highlights Giedroyc’s consistent advocacy for Ukrainian independence as essential to Poland’s future and European stability, and his cautious yet sustained engagement with Russian émigré culture. It also examines his dialogue with Russian dissident writers like Vladimir Maksimov and his role in fostering intellectual exchange despite pronounced subjectivity and critical selectivity. By situating Giedroyc’s work within broader processes of cultural diplomacy and transnational memory, the article argues that his legacy exemplifi es deliberate, far-sighted editorial mediation that balanced literary taste with political realism and a commitment to intercultural dialogue.