Memoirs of Rev. Teofil Skalski on the Background of Podolia, Volhynia and Kiev Region Memoir Writing

Mirosława Ołdakowska-Kuflowa, prof. dr hab.

Katolicki Uniwersyet Lubelski Jana Pawła II , Poland
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1265-1340

Abstract

Memoirs of Rev. Teofil Skalski Terror and Suffering stand out from memoire writing of other Polish authors, usually rich landlords, born on the territory of Ukraine annexed to the Russian Empire after the first partition of Poland and later comprising a part of the Soviet Union. The author, a clergyman hailing from the pauperised landed gentry and performing several important functions in the Church, charts the reality of the land at the turn of the 19^th and 20^th century from a different point of view, paying special attention to the attitude of the authorities, first Tsarist, then Soviet, to the Roman Catholic Church and its pastoral, charitable and social activities among the local Catholics, who were mostly Polish. Skalski in his own peculiar style reacts to political developments and his response to literature, culture and nature is also characteristic. Skalski is among the few who could testify about going through Soviet arrest, interrogation and 6-year imprisonment, already before World War II. In 1932 he was exchanged with a group of Poles for Soviet prisoners released from Polish prisons and returned to Poland. The uniqueness of his experience and peculiarity of his style complements the very rich memoir writing relating to the region.

Keywords:

memoire, Podolia, Volhynia, Kiev Region, revolution, Soviet terror