THE ETHNICISING OF OBJECTS AND ITS RESULTS. ON THE ROLE OF UKRAINIAN ETHNOGRAPHIC COLLECTIONS IN POLAND

Abstract

Categorising and contextualising objects in collections is a natural feature of museum professionals and collectors, which they do both with their own collections and others. Assigning given features to objects is connected with their description (e.g. academic) as well as with inventory and storage requirements. Another reason for such practices may also be mentioned here – the need to classify the world of objects and ideas. One of the categories most frequently used in such operations is the ethnic and cultural (or identity and cultural) category, particularly favoured by ethnologists and ethnographers – hence the non-European, non-Polish, Slavonic, Lithuanian, Ukrainian or even Lemko, Boyko etc. collections in museums (and not only there). Specific comparison of ethnic collections (in this case, Ukrainian) allows at least a few significant questions to be posed regarding the way they function. Firstly, concerning the history of mutual inter-ethnic relations; secondly, concerning their role in Polish ethnographic collecting; thirdly, concerning their impact on the identity of ethnic groups; and concerning the point of ethnicising objects; and finally concerning the impact on the self-reflection of ethnology. The author replies to the questions raised on the basis of his research in 2010–2012 in over ten Polish museums and collections. While presenting the results of his queries, he tries simultaneously to indicate the multidimensional and multi-context way such collections function in Polish culture.

Keywords

• Ukrainians
• ethnographic collections
• ethnology
• ethnicity
• musealium