KRESY AS AN ELEMENT OF NATIONAL IDENTITY: THE CONTEXT OF BORDERLAND

One of the structural elements of national identity is the concept of homeland. In the Polish national consciousness, the concept of a homeland is very often marginalized. To replace him in the epicentre of humanitarian studios, the concept of «kresy» arises. Given the historical overlay of territories that are both «native land/homeland» for Ukrainians and kresy/borderland for the Polish nation, it is worth attempting to rethink the etymology and historical evolution of the concept of «kresy» in the context of its significance for national self-identification. It is also advisable to outline within which methodological approaches it is possible to carry out a scientific study of the phenomenon of Kresy as a space of borderland and an element of national identity.Given the modern civilizational situation and the new establishment of the boundaries of civilizations, the joint efforts of scientists in rethinking the borderland (and kresy) as a space of a common civilizational frontier are necessary.