2025/12/30 by Erik Gilk, Gilk, Erik
Social Sciences · #Central European national history #Central European and Russian historical studies #European Cultural and National Identity
paper · doi:10.34616/ajmp.2025.28.5
This study examines the literary image of Subcarpathian Ruthenia, which was part of Czechoslovakia during the interwar period, and its representation in contemporary Czech prose. Following an introductory historical overview, the paper presents a selective survey of literary works that reference this region and explores the reasons behind its appeal, rooted in the profound cultural and social distinctiveness of its inhabitants. It highlights the significant role that writers played in shaping the media image of Subcarpathian Ruthenia through their reportage. The most influential figure in this regard was the Czech left-wing prose writer Ivan Olbracht (1882–1952), who repeatedly visited the easternmost part of Czechoslovakia in the 1930s. In addition to two influential reportage books, he authored two prose works: the balladic novel Nikola Šuhaj loupežník [Nikola Šuhaj the Bandit] (1933) and the short-story triptych Golet v údolí [Exile in the Valley] (1937). The analytical section of this study is devoted chiefly to Golet v údolí (along with its critical reception), as it – unlike the widely recognised and frequently analyzed Nikola Šuhaj loupežník [Nikola the Outlaw] – centers on the mentality of the Orthodox Jewish community and the challenges associated with it.