The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was far from being just “Poland”
A conversation with Tomas Venclova, Lithuanian philosopher and writer. Interviewer: Nikodem Szczyglowski
February 28, 2025 -
Nikodem Szczygłowski
Tomas Venclova
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InterviewsIssue 1-2 2025Magazine
Photo courtesy of the International Cultural Institute (Kraków, Poland).
NIKODEM SZCZYGLOWSKI: Lithuania and Poland shared a common state for several centuries. This union could be compared to, let’s say, the union between England and Scotland. However, no one dares call Scotland “England”. As for the Republic of the Two Nations – or the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth – to this day it is often simplistically referred to as “Poland”. Why is that? Is there a lack of terminology?
TOMAS VENCLOVA: Yes, this is due to a lack of terminology. England and Scotland have a common term – Great Britain. Lithuanians and Poles also have a common term, but it is a long and not very convenient term – Rzeczpospolita Obojga Narodów, the Republic of the Two Nations – which nevertheless emphasizes the fact that there were two nations, as in the case of England and Scotland. There are also differences between the English and the Scots and the Poles and the Lithuanians. The Scots have hardly preserved their language – unlike the Lithuanians, who did – and the Lithuanian language is very distinct from Polish, which clearly separates Lithuanians from the Poles. And what unites Lithuania and Poland is the Catholic religion. Whereas the Scots have their own religious tradition, the English have theirs. By the way, it is not only the Scots who can be compared to Lithuanians, but also the Irish. There was a violent conflict between the English and the Irish nations, I would say bloodier and worse than the Lithuanian-Polish conflict in the 20th century. But it has now ended there too. The Irish have also not preserved their language and speak English, the old Gaelic language is almost non-existent. It is again a different situation when compared to the Lithuanian one. In Lithuania, three million people speak Lithuanian, and mostly, primarily or exclusively Lithuanian. And that is how we differ from the Scots. I always say that we have to remember that the Republic of the Two Nations – or the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth – was far from being just “Poland”, it was a common state made up of two different entities.
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history, Lithuania, memory, Poland, Polish-Lithuania commonwealth, Venclova
