Olena Kozakevych
Candidate in Art History, Assistant, Seweryn Udziela Ethnographic Museum in Krakow

In this article the autor attempts to analyse the collections of Ukrainian material culture from museums located in north-western Poland, including Pomerania. They contain exhibits obtained from both the indigenous population and the displaced and repatriated people from the so-called Borderlands, including collections of material and spiritual culture from the Vilnius Region, Bracław Region, Polissia, Lemko Region, Boіko Region, Lublin Region, and the areas of the Rzeszów and Przemyśl voivodeships. There is also a brief analysis of the existing research and the source database, based on which it can be stated that the topic discussed in the article is still relevant. An important basis for writing the work was the materials of thematic exhibitions that took place in Pomeranian museums, in particular in Gdansk, Slupsk and Bytom.

The characteristics of collections of Ukrainian culture in Pomerania are based mostly on the study of collections from local museums. Attention was focused mainly on collections of fabrics and costumes in terms of their quantity, provenance and local features. These artifacts were an important part of their owners’ daily lives, a family heirloom and a sad reminder of the past. Collections of clothing and fabrics from the listed museums of Pomerania differ among themselves, mostly in artistic characteristics. However, thanks to this, provenance can be clearly traced, which emphasizes the historical value of the collections.

Most of the items are dated from 1920–1940. Some of them, such as shirts, skirts, or jewelry, bear signs of local traditions that were present in folk clo­thing of the period in question. Some of them, such as shirts, skirts, or jewelry, have signs of local traditions that existed in folk clothing of the outlined period. Instead, fabrics for home decoration feature a combination of traditional Ukrainian ornaments and elements of urban fashion. The diversity of collections of Ukrainian material and spiritual culture in museums in Poland requires their thorough study from various aspects, which will allow us to supplement and clarify selected areas of the history of the Ukrainian people.

Keywords: Poland, Pomeranian museums, Ukraine, provenance, collections, exhibitions, tradition.

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