For the Strengthening of Hearts: Relations between Russia and Poland and National Mythology in Jan Matejko’s Works

This paper is a visual analysis of the works of the famous Polish painter of the 19th century Jan Matejko, dedicated to the image of Russia in the context of bilateral Russian-Polish relations. Jan Matejko painted his works with the aim of strengthening the national pride of Poles deprived of their national state, so that in the future they would be able to find the strength to fight against the states that divided the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The study of works related to Russia is important because they reflect the national mythology on which all Poles are brought up, so they often perceive the artistic interpretation uncritically, and as a result they form a very prejudiced image of Russia in their minds.