Irena Wodzianowska

Dr. hab. Irena Wodzianowska is an Assistant Professor in the Department of History and Historiography of East Central and Eastern Europe at the Institute of History, Faculty of Humanities, John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin. She has held leadership positions including Director of the Center (2019-2022, 2023-2026) and Head of Studio (2019-2022). Her academic career spans over two decades with extensive scholarly contributions to Eastern European religious history.

Dr. Wodzianowska's research focuses on the intricate relationship between religious institutions and political powers in Eastern Europe, particularly examining the Catholic Church's position within the Russian Empire. Her work frequently addresses the history of the Uniate/Greek Catholic Church, Basilian monastic order, and Polish religious figures operating in imperial contexts. She specializes in archival research, often utilizing materials from Ukrainian, Belarusian, and Russian archives to reconstruct historical narratives of religious communities.

Her publications reveal a consistent pattern of scholarly engagement with religious institutions' adaptation to political pressures, particularly focusing on the 18th-20th centuries. The research demonstrates exceptional command of multilingual sources and contributes significantly to understanding how religious communities maintained identity under imperial rule. Her work bridges Polish, Ukrainian, and Belarusian historical scholarship through meticulous analysis of church archives and institutional records.

Dr. Wodzianowska has supervised numerous bachelor's theses on diverse historical topics related to Eastern Europe, religious history, and cultural studies. She has managed significant research projects including the source edition of Rev. Prof. Józef Kruszyński's Memoirs and Diary from 1939-1945 and served as contractor for the National Science Centre project on Basilians of the Lithuanian province.

As an active member of the Historical Commission of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Lublin, she contributes to shaping historical scholarship in the region. Her editorial work spans multiple journals including 'Saeculum Christianum', 'Studia Geohistorica', and 'Teka Komisji Historycznej TN KUL', demonstrating her commitment to advancing scholarly discourse.