Witold Kowalczyk

Prof. Witold Kowalczyk has been a faculty member at Maria Curie-Skłodowska University since 1979, holding the academic rank of Professor since 1996. He served in multiple leadership roles, including Head of the Department of Russian Literature and Culture of the 18th–19th Centuries (1996–2015), Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Humanities (1993–1996), and Proxy of the Vice-Rector for Student Affairs (1990–1991). His research spans Russian literature of the 18th–19th centuries, focusing on sentimental prose, sacred themes, demonology, Judaica, and cognitive literary analysis.

• Graduated from Leningrad University (1972) and Jagiellonian University (1980)
• Habilitation at UMCS (1992)

His scholarly work includes monographs on Apollon Maykov and Nikolai Karamzin, as well as co-edited volumes like Rossica Lublinensia (vols. I–VI). He supervised 5 PhD theses and over 140 master's theses, pioneering seminars on the Sacred in Russian Literature and teaching Orthodox Spirituality in philology programs. He has held visiting professorships at Catholic University of Lublin and collaborated with foreign institutions in Leningrad, Moscow, and Vilnius.

His scientific awards include the Gold Cross of Merit (1993), National Education Medal (1997), and Lumen mundi Medal (2019). He also served as a long-time expert for the Central Examination Board and the University Accreditation Committee.