Irena Matus

Prof. Irena Matus is a Professor at the University of Bialystok, Faculty of Philology, where she heads the Department of Belarusian Culture. Her academic work centers on the multicultural heritage of Poland's Podlasie region, with emphasis on Belarusian cultural traditions.

Her educational background includes:

• History degree from University of Warsaw in Bialystok
• Postgraduate studies in Ethnology at Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun
• PhD in History from Nicolaus Copernicus University
• Habilitation in Church History from Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University in Warsaw

Professor Matus conducts interdisciplinary research in traditional culture and regional history, specializing in the multicultural dynamics of Podlasie. Her scholarly output includes monographs such as Wieś Strzelce-Dawidowicze w tradycji historycznej (1994) and Schyłek unii i proces restytucji prawosławia w obwodzie białostockim (2013), alongside numerous scientific and popular-scientific publications examining Belarusian communities in historical contexts.

She maintains active membership in the Bialystok Branch of the Polish Cultural Studies Society and the Belarusian Historical Society. Professor Matus also preserves cultural heritage through her personal collection of folk decorative textiles and antique artifacts of traditional applied art.