Curriculum Vitae

Education

February 2006 – present
PhD Candidate at the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology, Halle/S., Germany.

July 2005
Institute of Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology of Warsaw University
M.A. in ethnology. Thesis title:“Terra Mariana versus Māras Zeme. The cult of the miracle working image of Our Lady of Aglona and identity in contemporary Latgale region (Latvia)”.

September 2002 – June 2003
Latvian University, Riga, Latvia
Baltic Studies

September 2001
Institute of Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology of Warsaw University
B.A. in ethnology. Thesis title: “Poluverec. The role of religion in creating the identity of the ethno-confessional group of Setu”.

Field research experience

2006-2007
A year-long period of fieldwork in Russia (Rostov-on-Don) – research for the Ph.D. project (“Orthodox atheist”: Education, Religion and Morality in Contemporary Russia).

2004
Research in Romanian Bukovina – popular religion and strategies of acculturation of Poles
in Romania.

2002-2003
A year-long period of research in Latvia (Riga and the Latgale region) for the M.A. thesis.

1999-2002
Research in the Latgale region. Research within the framework of the State Committee for Scientific Research (Komitet Badań Naukowych) project: “Cemetery and people.
The study of 20th century national, religious and ethnic relations in the borderland
of historical Livonia”.

2001
Fieldwork in the Latgale region: ethnic and cultural identities of Polish communities
in Latvia (with the support of Aid for Poles in the East Foundation).

2000
Fieldwork in Estonia and Latvia: cataloguing the tombstones of the Polish intelligentsia connected with Tartu University; the New Latgale region (Jaunlatgale); the Lithuanian-Latvian-Belarusian borderland (Zarasai-Turmontai).

1998-2000
Research in the Setumaa region (Estonia/Russia) on Orthodox Setu (for the B.A. thesis).

1999
Fieldwork in the Latgale region, ethnic and cultural identities of Polish communities
in Latvia (with the support of Aid for Poles in the East Foundation).

1999
Research in the Spiš region in Slovakia (museum).

1998
Ethnographical fieldwork on the traditional culture and contemporary property relations among the farmers in the Podlasie region (Poland).

Professional experience

From 2006
Researcher with the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology, Halle/Saale

2005
Chancellery of the Senate of the Republic of Poland, Polish Communities Abroad Office, Policy Unit – researcher

Scholarships, Awards and Grants

2002-2003
The Soros Foundation (Fundacja im. Stefana Batorego) supplementary grant (studies and fieldwork in Latvia)

2002-2003
The KIK (Club of Catholic Intelligentsia) grant (research for M.A. thesis

2002-2003
Polish Ministry of Education grant for studying in Latvia

2001-2003
The Warsaw University stipend

2001-2003
Scholarship within the framework of the grant project “Cemetery and people. The study of 20th century national, religious and ethnic relations in the borderland of historical Livonia”, The State Committee for Scientific Research

2001
The Aid for Poles in the East Foundation scholarship for research in Latvia

1999
The Aid for Poles in the East Foundation scholarship for research in Latvia

Other relevant experience

2003-2004
Presentations on religious discourses in Latvia at the Department of Religious Studies, Institute of Philosophy and Sociology of the Polish Academy of Sciences

2002
Presentation at the international conference “Monitoring preparations of Transition Countries for EU Accession”, Pärnu (Estonia)

2002
Organisation of an academic conference (at Warsaw University) with the Estonian First Lady, Mrs. Ingrid Rüütel (ethnomusicologist), within the framework of Pro Estonia activities

2000
Foundation of the Pro Estonia Society – association active in creating and maintaining cultural relationships with Estonia and promoting its positive image in Poland
(www.proestonia.eesti.pl)

2000
Coordination of a students’ conference on the Setu culture and the exhibition “The Old Maps of Livonia” (with the support of the Estonian Embassy in Warsaw)

Language skill

Polish – native; English, Russian – fluent; French, Latvian – good; German, Latin – basic.