Krzystof Czyżewski (b. 1958), a writer, poet, theater director, who  considers himself a practitioner of ideas, occupies a prominent place in the modern Polish culture. In 1978-83, Chizhevsky was a co-founder and actor of the avant-garde theater company Gardzienice  (Centre for Theatre Practices "Gardzienice"). During these years, the areas of the world where traditional culture was still alive became the subject of his interest. During the Solidarność years he joined the dissident movement and together with his several others, founded the magazine "Czas Kultury" / " Time for Culture". From this period on, he lectures the history of culture and continues to work in the theater.

In 1990, near the border of Poland, Lithuania and Belarus, in small city of Sejny/Krasnogruda ( in Czesław Miłosz’s family estate), he founded the foundation and dialogue center "Pogranice"/,,Borderland", which continues to frutfully function to bring together nations separated by the forces of history. The foundation has its own theater company, orchestra and creative workshops. Since the Russian invasion in Ukraine the Center gives the floor and shelter to Ukrainian writers and poets. Czyzewski coordinates the dialogue between peoples and cultures in many parts of the world, including the Caucasus region. About ten of his books  have been translated into many languages, Czyzewski has received more than twenty awards in Australia, Italy, Israel, Germany, Poland, and others.

His last book “Toward Xenopolis: Visions from the Borderland ” was published this year, and his poem “Clown's Tear”, dedicated to the war in Ukraine,  has already been translated into dozens of languages.

Excerpt from A Small Center of the World

A small center of the world does not want to be the only one, it perceives itself as a small part co-existing with others. Their power is its power; it does not nourish itself on the weakness of others; it does not need to dominate its surroundings in order to develop. It makes no claims to exclusivity, exceptionalism, or preeminence in any sphere, it asks only for dialogue, empathy and shared responsibility.

An art especially nurtured in a small center of the world is the acceptance of gifts. This art speaks to the fact that we are not self-sufficient; life is a communing, a being-together created by the obligation to reciprocate gifts. The world turns to us through gifts. We can choose to not accept them, to not reciprocate, we can choose to exploit them against the intentions with which they were offered. This gives us a feeling of independence and mastery. But a small center of the world is not “the hub of the universe;” it is codependent, free precisely through its responsibility for coexistence. A small center of the world exists insofar as others can contribute gifts.

Translated by Justyna Kuschnik and Marsi Shore