Making Boundaries: Polish Memory, Identity and the Ukrainian Other

ABSTRACT

Political elites use historical references abundantly when drawing national boundaries. Despite the prominence of such language, we know little about the ways in which ordinary citizens internalise historical narratives of the Other to construct their national identity. Drawing on focus group discussions conducted in Poland, this article highlights the significance of family memories and experiences in the making of national boundaries and how these memories and experiences are transmitted across generations independently of state‐initiated narratives. When a significant number of Ukrainians sought refuge in Poland following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with the majority of Poles expressing solidarity with those fleeing a war of aggression, the Ukrainian Other became an integral part of Polish society, yet still remained symbolically external. Comparing focus group discussions in two cities and among two generations allows to assess the importance of generational factors relative to sociopolitical orientation and local dynamics for the reception of history and the construction of identity.