Lectures by Prof. Oleksandr Pronkevich
The Faculty of Languages, Literatures and Cultures at the University of Wrocław and the Wrocław University Center for Polish-Ukrainian Cooperation invite you to two lectures by Prof. Olekandr Pronkevich from the Ukrainian Catholic University.
Olekandr Pronkevich is a professor and head of the Department of Philology at the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv. He is a highly regarded literary critic and researcher of world literature and culture, with a focus on intercultural dialogue and Spanish and Ukrainian literature. In his academic work, he combines research with teaching, lecturing and conducting research projects, as well as participating in international seminars and scientific exchange programmes.
The first lecture, entitled ‘Don Juan tamed by Lesya Ukrainka in the light of the legend of Don Juan’, will take place on 4 March 2026,from 12:00 to 13:00, at the Institute of Slavic Studies, room 201, ul. Pocztowa 9 in Wrocław. The lecture will be held in Ukrainian.
About the lecture: Don Juan tamed by Lesya Ukrainka is a dramatic reinterpretation of the European legend of Don Juan, in which the authoress intentionally departs from the traditional image of incurable seducer. Lesya Ukrainka transforms the myth to explore the relationships between freedom and limitation, between individual choice and social obligation. Contrary to the classical versions (eg. Tirso de Molina, Molière or Mozart), where Don Juan is a personification of anarchic freedom and untamed erotic impulse, in Lesya Ukarainka’s work, the hero is deprived of this mythical power. Tamed-not so much by women as by structures of power, moral sanctions and his own weakness-he loses his legendary status and becomes a tragic figure. The Ukrainian writer focuses on the psychological and moral demythologization of Don Juan: instead of a cynical conqueror, we encounter a man who is entangled, unable to overcome the roles imposed on him.
The second lecture, entitled ‘Don Quixote of the USA-Mexico Border’, will take place on 5 March 2026, from 12:00 to 13:00 in the Institute of Polish Studies, room 225. The lecture will be held in English.
Translated by Matylda Majda (student of English Studies at the University of Wrocław) as part of the translation practice.
Date of publication: 27.02.2026
Added by: M.J.
