Zesłanie jako spotkanie kolonialne. Przestrzeń Uralu i Syberii w oczach Tomasza Zana

Summary The author of this article makes an attempt at analysing the space of the Ural Mountains and Siberia and the identity of an exile, based on exile correspondence of Tomasz Zan and his memories described in his diary from exile. The article is focused on three representations of space mentioned in Zan’s reports – Orenburg, mountains and steppes, constructed based on the “one’s own – foreign” dichotomy. Orenburg as a projection of an empire and one of tools of colonial policy used by Russia is juxtaposed with the image of the mountains and steppes, which the exiled person identifies with and which specify his subjectivity. The article also discusses the issues connected with the complicated “me – different”, “colonizing – colonized” relations, on the example of Zan’s contact with Russians and Asian tribes.