Victoria Anastasia Aranowicz

Research Topic:

"Chosen by the Gods: Slavic Paganism and Race in Imagining a Polish National Identity"

My doctoral project analyzes how four twentieth-century (Polish) Slavic Pagan groups and their founders defined the concept of 'race', and how those ideas shaped the imagining of a Polish national identity. To investigate these intellectual debates in depth and examine the continuities and discontinuities of Slavic Pagan ideas, the thesis spans nearly the entire twentieth century (1921-1996). I study figures such as the eccentric artist Stanisław Szukalski, philosopher Jan Stachniuk, and controversial politician Bolesław Tejkowski. 

Generally, I research belief systems and how they affect cultural and political ideologies. I am especially interested in alternative religions and 'folk' Catholicism.

Supervisor: Zbig Wojnowski

Academic Background: 

Master of Arts in European and Mediterranean Studies from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, New York University, September 2023

Bachelor of Arts in History, Journalism, and Creative Writing from the College of Arts and Sciences, New York University, May 2022