معرفی
Dr. Elżbieta Olzacka is a Lecturer at the Department of Comparative Civilization Studies, Faculty of Philosophy, Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland. With a PhD in social sciences and graduate training in sociology and Russian studies, she has taught social and cultural research methodology since 2009 and serves as a core faculty member in comparative civilizational studies.
Research Interests:
- Sociology and anthropology of war
- Cultural history of warfare and military revolutions
- Memory studies and museology in conflict zones
- Contemporary Ukrainian culture, cinema, and cultural policy
- Post-Soviet conflicts and cultural mobilization
Her work explores how cultural narratives, symbols, and institutions shape societies during and after war, with a particular focus on Ukraine since 2014 and Tajikistan in the 1990s.
Recent Research Trends:
Across her 2021-2024 publications, Olzacka consistently examines the intersection of culture, conflict, and memory. She analyzes how museums, cinema, posters, and digital media serve as instruments of national mobilization and identity construction during wartime, particularly in response to Russian aggression against Ukraine. Her work highlights the shift in Ukrainian cultural policy from post-Soviet models to hybrid frameworks balancing liberal and security imperatives.
Scientific Awards & Grants:
- Principal Investigator, Cultural Strategies of War and Reconciliation: Tajik Civil War 1992–1997 – National Science Centre (Sonata 5), 2014–2016
- Principal Investigator, Cultural Context of the Conflict in Eastern Ukraine – National Science Centre (Miniatura 1), 2017–2018
- Head of national module, Challenges and Opportunities for EU Heritage Diplomacy in Ukraine (HER-UKR) – Erasmus+ Jean Monnet Policy Debate, 2023–2026
- POB Heritage mini-grant, Aesthetic and Ethical Challenges in Exhibiting Ongoing Conflict, 2021–2022
Labs, Teams & International Collaborations:
Olzacka has conducted extensive fieldwork and held visiting positions at institutions including the Center for Urban History of East Central Europe (Lviv), George Washington University’s IERES, Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, Moscow State University, SOAS University of London, University of Kent, and Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg. These collaborations strengthen her comparative research on war cultures across post-Soviet and European contexts.
