Ferdynand Ruszczyc i wileński świat teatru

The article showcases a wide spectrum of Ferdynand Ruszczyc’s artistic activity, in particular his role in shaping the Polish scene of Vilnius and the Vilnius region in the first decades of the 20th century. Ruszczyc’s achievements as a creator of modern scenography in cooperation with professional theatre are unquestioned, as well as the artist’s strong commitment to the animation of culture in the broadly understood public space. Ruszczyc’s stage productions have become a permanent part of Vilnius’ artistic life, reinforcing the living legend of the city from the theatrical spirit, emphasising the beauty of its monuments, integrating the community with the place and cultural tradition, maintaining memory and national identity. The study, in a synthetic approach, presents diverse nature, artistic and social resonance of the performances, the phenomenon of which has been recorded by numerous memories and research works. A valuable testimony used in this article are Ruszczyc’s Diaries (Ku Wilnu and W Wilnie), which in a diary and epistolary form document numerous activities of the artist, as well as allow deeper access to various experiences and sources of his vision of the theatre.