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This study presents various perspectives on cultural communication issues, in the context of globalization and political and economic transformation in Poland and Bulgaria since the democratic revolution of the 1989. Poland and Bulgaria have old historical and cultural relations, defined and developed institutionally in different spheres of social life at the beginning of the twentieth century. Cultural cooperation is a kind of catalyst for the country’s foreign policy: maintains the historical, ethnic, and regional cooperation, symbolizes the successes, compensates for the negative relations and is an indirect tool for deepening the breakthrough in bilateral relations. Nowadays, branding models are used to promote the image of countries as a tool of the public diplomacy. This article examines the dynamic role of the changes in the cross­cultural communication. The article draws on the most important cultural and scientific publications and literature to argue that building this cultural cooperation has its roots in the capability to mobilize and use culture as a resource for collaborative action between Poland and Bulgaria.

Polish Institute in Sofia (former Polish Cultural and Information Centre) is one of the oldest cultural institutions of this type in the Balkans and the most important centre for promotion of Polish culture in Bulgaria. For many years it has been supporting Polish­Bulgarian contacts in the field of science and culture arranging courses of Polish language for Bulgarians, cooperating with Bulgarian universities, Slavic Studies Institutes and other cultural institutions. Paper presents history of the Institute, its activities in different fields (promotion of Polish literature, music, arts, science etc.) and its contribution to relations between the two countries.

Agnieszka Kościuszko, director of Polish Institute in Sofia, presents in this interview main purposes and tasks of this important cultural institution. She shares her impressions of Bulgarian culture and possibilities for partnership between our two countries, describes the most important cultural events and initiatives in recent years and her personal perspective for future work of the Institute.

The paper gives an overview of the history and present­day status of Polish studies at St Kliment Ohridski University in Sofia and discusses several key aspects of Polish cultural presence in contemporary Bulgaria. It explains the specific structure of Polish philology studies at the University in the light of the country’s modern educational system and highlights the most prominent scholars that have shaped the prestige of this particular branch of Slavistics.

Apart from academic research and educational achievements, another factor playing a significant role in present­day Polish­Bulgarian cultural dialogue is the Polish Institute in Sofia. The paper demonstrates how positive attitudes towards Poland and its cultural heritage have substantially influenced the reception of prominent Poles in Bulgaria. The cases of Lech Wałęsa, pope John Paul II and Czesław Miłosz reveal a tendency to idealize their legacy due to the need of public values lacking in Bulgarian society.

Polish studies at the University of Veliko Turnovo celebrates a double anniversary in 2013/2014 – the Department of Slavic studies was established 20 years ago and courses in Polish, taught by native speakers, were introduced 40 years ago. The article provides an A­–to–Z account of the cultural contextualisation of Polish studies at UVT; assembles a gallery of portraits of lecturers focusing on their academic and research work; traces the itinerary of Slavic studies and its current prospects; focuses on student activities; studies the forms of cooperation with universities and institutions in the field of Polish studies, highlighting the most fruitful ones.

The article presents the history of Polish language, literature and culture studies at University ‘Paisyi Hilendarski’ in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. The beginnings of Slavic Studies at University of Plovdiv date back to 1978. In 1991 the separate profile of Polish Philology was formed. Nowadays the majority of the faculty are members of the Department of General Slavic Linguistics and the History of the Bulgarian Language.

The article presents teaching of Polish language and Polish literature at Shumen University (Bulgaria) from 1975 until 2013, as well as the activities of Polish language lecturers in popularizing Polish culture: film and book presentations, lectures on Polish culture, painting and poster exhibitions, concerts.

The text outlines Poland’s authority from a political and cultural point of view, by focusing on the reception of Polish literature in one of Bulgaria’s most popular (and until recently, only one remaining) literary weekly, “Literaturen vestnik”. As well as offering western ideas, it also filled certain gaps by providing translations of some great Western authors, “Literaturen vestnik” pays due attention to the developments in Central Europe, and presents the creativity of Zbigniew Herbert, Czesław Miłosz, Ryszard Kapuściński, Olga Tokarczuk, Ryszard Krynicki, Ewa Lipska, Wisława Szymborska, Andrzej Stasiuk, Magdalena Tulli. The text also gives an account of the Polish­themed issues of “Literaturen vestnik”, dedicated to some of the above­mentioned authors, as well as to feminism, the Polish NIKE literary award, the Conrad Festival in Cracow and the formation of a Polish community among Bulgarian translators and readers.

Years 2011 and 2015 are two anniversaries both linked with the name of Tadeusz Grabowski – 130^th anniversary of the Polish professor and diplomat and 100^th anniversary of the Bulgarian questionnaire on the Polish issue (1915–1916) – an important document about Polish­Bulgarian relations. Prof. Magda Karabelova initiated the two publications about Prof. Grabowski and his work in Bulgaria – biography of Tadeusz Grabowski and the first Bulgarian translation of the Bulgarian questionnaire on the Polish issue (1915–1916). These two publications are presented in the article. Prof. Tadeusz Grabowski has played a very important role in Polish­Bulgarian relations, both as a scientist and as a polish ambassador in Bulgaria. Probably the Questionnaire is one of his most important publications – a document not only about the diplomatic mission of Poland at that time but also a record of the vision of the highest Bulgarian public figures about the political situation and relations with Poland. A careful reading of both surveys leaves no doubt that it is worth the efforts of Prof. Karabelova to present them to the Bulgarian audience. The mission of Prof. Tadeusz Grabowski has influenced not only Polish­Bulgarian relations, but also our understanding of the political and social situation in the country.

The topic of this article is the first Polish novel about Bulgaria: Zarnica. It was written by a revolutionary emigrant Zygmunt Miłkowski alias Teodor Tomasz Jeż, who resided in Shumen with over 1000 Polish and Hungarian rebels headed by L. Kossuth and Gen. J. Bem. The contribution of immigrants to the Bulgarian national revival is significant.

The article draws on a chapter from Boyan Biolchev’s book Stanisław Wyspiański – Encyclopaedist of Neoromanticism (2003). It studies the following contextual aspects of Wyspiański’s plays Bolesław the Brave (Bolesław Śmiały) and Skałka: Wyspiański‘s defining creative relationship with his native Krakow; the playwright’s englobing vision of the two works and intention to stage them as a single play; the historical sources and the literary and historical genesis of the theme of conflict between the king and the bishop­saint; Słowacki‘s influence; critical evaluations of the two­play cycle.

The myth of Prometheus belongs to the oldest and most frequently interpreted ancient myths. Over the centuries, Prometheism has deteriorated instead of evolving, and such a claim can be supported by comparing Aeschylus’ archetype with the theomachists in the masterpieces of Polish authors Jan Kochanowski, Adam Mickiewicz, Jan Kasprowicz and Sławomir Mrożek. The works reviewed in this article suggest that the types of theomachy reflects the respective dominant ideology and represents the actual position of every participant in the triad: the mass ­– the theomachist – the deity. Prometheus, as an equal to Zeus, sacrifices himself for the inferior human “ephemerals”; in his Laments, Kochanowski creates his own anthropocentrical pantheon and demands from the resident deities to bring his beloved little daughter back to life or at least console his paternal grief; Konrad (Forefather’s Eve), in order to liberate his ethnic motherland, requests from God to give him the power to rule the world by feelings; the lyric hero of Jan Kasprowicz (Holy God, Holy and Mighty) insists that God salvages mankind from disasters and starvation or becomes human again and come down to Earth and suffers with the ordinary people; whereas the Communist Bartodziej (Portrait), willing to fight the whole world in the name of his party leader, sacrifices the ones closest to him on the altar of Stalin, and ultimately destroys himself.

The article deals with the different levels of reception of Henryk Sienkiewicz’s ‘Christian epic’ Quo Vadis in Bulgaria. It focuses on an issue which is of exceptional interest in the Bulgarian context: Quo Vadis is amongst the most widely read and translated novels of the world classics and yet has not been integrated in the ‘repertoire’ of Bulgarian literary science and thought. According to some research statistics its scale of reception is phenomenological, but it has not impacted our literary tradition of novel writing. This is a paradox, which can only be explained as a result of the specificity of the intellectual and religious experience of the Bulgarian people.

Significant for the history of the reception of the Polish poet in Bulgaria are the book published in the Czesław Miłosz year: It (translated by Silvia Borisova and Kamen Rikev). The volume It is discussed from the point of view of the faithfulness of the translation of the poet’s specific philosophical interests. The translation of Native Realm is also of significance to the Bulgarian perception of Miłosz. The artistic value of the translation (Родната Европа, 2012) done by Margreta Grigorova and Mira Kostova is considered with reference to the various meanings of the notion of what it means to be European.

The article presents an account of reception facts that demonstrate how the celebration of the anniversary of Miłosz's in Bulgaria in 2011 was not limited to one year only, but continued into the next. Such a long ‘anniversary celebration’ signals how well received Miłosz was in Bulgaria. The Bulgarian edition of Native Realm (Rodzinna Europa) and its publication can be found within the context of this prolonged commemoration. The translation of the title itself which focuses on the two metaphors describing Europe can lead to a critical investigation; native space and family. The article argues that Miłosz's autobiographical book shows the implications of Europe as a native space in terms of culture and nature.

The contemporary ‘face’ of Bruno Schulz is a result of the collaboration between several visions as well as the specific relation between presence and absence. To a large extent, this fact allows the treatment of Schulz’s reconstructed image not as the static whole, but rather as a dynamic and open identity, defined not only by the biographical reconstructions, but also by its fragmentation and incompleteness. One of the questions that the article evokes is, whether absence can serve as a factor in decoding Schulz’s nature.

Seen through the perspective of reception, the works of Witold Gombrowicz constitute a wide range of receptive proposals, selectively updated in the constant dynamic of the interactive discourse between the literary subject and the reader. The reader is invited in a covert partnership with his communication peer (the author–the producer) in their joint journey to the own polyphonic, unidentifiable, mutational ego. The relation to the self, as permanently disputed by otherness, finds its artistic application through the comic as the most powerful weapon against the Form, both in the field of the author and of the recipient.

The article is devoted to the novel Crusaders (1935) by the Polish novelist Zofia Kossak (1889–1968). It discusses the author’s hypothesis about the Polish participation in the First Crusade (1096–1099). The article focuses on the possible interpretation of the novel in the spirit of the philosophy of Polish Messianism. The accession to the Crusade forces by the Silesian warriors can be considered as an act of redemption for the sins of the whole Polish nation as well as a pilgrimage to Poland being regarded as visiting the Promised Land. The psychological aspects of the first (according to the novel) participation of Polish armed forces in an international military expedition are also considered in terms of tribal solidarity, consolidating the role of Christianity and pagan traditions that had a significant impact on Poles at the end of the eleventh century.

In his book Fiasco Stanisław Lem is asking what human nature is, what man aspires to, how he achieves it. What is Good and Evil? Who will win in the eternal fight between these two forces? Human beings conquer the outer space, but do they manage to subdue their inner space? Accustomed to thinking about themselves as the peak of the civilization progress and the quintessence of the Universe, are men capable of accepting meekly the unpleasant truth that in this Universe they were not given any exceptional and honourable role? Lem’s answers shatter the comfortable anthropocentric ideas of mankind and its place in the world. The author speaks directly of the difficulties of liberating our consciousness from the accumulated complexes, stereotypes and prejudice, from the intolerance towards everything different, foreign and incomprehensible. He states that even when they conquer time and space, men are helpless in the face of the dark forces hidden deep inside their souls, in the face of the unavoidable fall of Earth’s civilization.

The paper discusses the historical reception of Polish trifles (fraszki) in Bulgaria, as well as the specific status of that genre in Bulgarian literary studies. Bulgarian translators of trifles have been constantly experiencing two major challenges: to successfully adapt old­Polish reality to their national cultural context and to express the uniqueness of trifles as a separate literary genre. The beginning of the 21^st century brings new translations of classic trifles in Bulgaria, but most importantly marks the appearance of original writings that have undoubtedly been influenced by their authors’ scholarly research and translations of trifles. The best examples are some fiction and poetry works by Boyan Biolchev and Panayot Karagyozov.

The author expresses her hopes that translations and promotion of Polish literature will initiate certain turn to openness and dialogue within Bulgarian community. It was lost during the period of the so­called ‘real socialism’.

Dora Gabe’s concept of translation as a product and creative practice was formed by her cooperation with one of the most prominent Bulgarian scholars – Boyan Penev. Later on, after Penev’s death, the poetess has changed and modified her understanding of the process of translation significantly. In this article the author claims that a corporeal experience of the process of translation, spontaneity and a consciously recognized need to cooperate with the author are the most important characteristics of Gabe’s own translational project. Gabe’s long­lasting correspondence with Anna Kamieńska shows all those characteristics and proves that in the late period of Gabe’s work translation was a way to establish a feeling of communion and transgress her cultural and artistic identity.

This article is dedicated to the novel Peasants by the Polish writer Władysław Reymont. The author of the article presents a brief overview of the history of translation and the modern reception of the novel in Bulgaria.

The most creative person in the history of Bulgarian literature is Blaga Dimitrova. This article presents her memories of the outstanding Polish poet Wisława Szymborska. Situations she recalls took place in the 50s, 60s and 70s of the 20^th century. This was a time when the Polish Nobel Prize Winner in Literature began to create her literary works. The sincere friendship between Dimitrova and Szymborska is also depicted here. It can be proved by the statement of Dimitrova's husband, Jordan Vasilev.

The article presents an account of how the Polish language course taught by Polish lecturers at Sofia University at the end of the twentieth–and the beginning of the twenty­first century resulted in the establishment of the educational theatre as an unconventional, creative and extremely successful form of improving the students’ knowledge and practice of Polish language by staging literary works in a creative way with literary studies, theatrical skills and language studies coming together in this venture. In 2000 the theater staged the play A Window Open to the Wind based on poems by the Polish Sappho­like poetess Maria Pawlikowska­Jasnorzewska. The play was performed to celebrate the opening of the Polish studies room at the University. The next performance staged the play Eutedemis. A Manuscript Found on the Internet based on a poem by the young poetess Małgorzatа Kapicа. These performances fulfill multiple aims and first and foremost they do help develop practical language skills.

The article discusses the conceptualization of intelligence and stupidity in Polish and Bulgarian phrases. The research found out a regularity with which both languages employ the same metaphors for designation the above mentioned human qualities. They are based on similar conceptual domains, organizing similar human experience. Intelligence in both languages is conceptualized as instrument (razor), stupidity as domestic animal (cow, goose) or very simple foodstuffs (cabbage, beans). The differences in conceptualizing of the intelligence and stupidity in both Slavic languages are insignificant.

The article deals with phonetic mistakes made by the students of Polish at The University of Veliko Turnovo (Bulgaria). The research covers over 50 students who studied Polish in 2008–2012, with the main focus on the recurrent mistakes and their sources. Language interference is the cause of the most frequent mistakes, such as the reduction of unstressed vowels, the confusion of [ł], [l] i [ṷ], the reduction in articulation of the geminates into one short sound, incorrect palatalisation or dispalatalisation of consonants. Another source of these mistakes lies in the difficulties in recognition and articulation of sounds that do not exist in Bulgarian: nasal vowels, [y], alveolo­palatals [ś], [ź], and the affricates [ć] and [1].

The article describes some main problems that Bulgarian students meet during their study of Polish language. The main mistakes in usage of Polish prepositions are grouped in several typological categories and the possible reasons for those mistakes are briefly described. The article is based on a corpus of mistakes made by students that study Polish at the University of Veliko Turnovo. The analysis allows to classify the main difficulties in acquiring Polish prepositions and to build conscious strategy that allows avoiding them in the process of teaching Polish language.

This article presents teaching Polish as a foreign language at the University of Veliko Turnovo. The author analyses the difficulties that students have in learning the Polish language, highlighting the differences between the Polish and Bulgarian language and common mistakes that students make. She also describes teaching methods.

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