POLISH COMMUNITY IN THE DAILY PRACTICE OF SOVIET CITIES: INTEGRATION STRATEGIES AND IDENTITY PRESERVATION (ON THE EXAMPLE OF THE DNIPROPETROVSK REGION 1953–1985)

Abstract

The Polish community in the Dnipropetrovsk region has a long history, however, and little studied in comparison with other regions of Ukraine. Poles who migrated to the Eastern Territories of Ukraine are mostly large land magnates, engineering and technical personnel, and ordinary workers, and after the Second World War – Poles who were victims of forced relocations, or entered military service.The Polish community that was formed in 1953 was heterogeneous, and was completely transformed. Getting into the cities and villages of the Dnipropetrovsk region, the Poles were quickly assimilation, and experienced total Russification (in the villages mostly Ukrainization). The Soviet government has done everything possible to close the Polish community access to churches that have been closed since 1948, and handed over to the use of city councils. However, rarely, but still partially, the Poles managed to instill their customs or culture in local residents, which certainly influenced their self-awareness and lifestyle changes.The cities where the Poles lived most of all became Russian, and filled the city space with newly arrived Russians to control the party apparatus on the ground, and ensure the formation of the «Soviet Self» in the minds of the local population. The Poles who lived here were the first to undergo the policies of this system – not a single newspaper, school, circle or television was in Polish (before the war the Polish-language school was functioning) – which was the first reasons for the gradual assimilation of the Polish community.The Poles who lived in the villages – adapted to local life, most of them became «relatives» according to the memories of the residents, and the rest, if possible, traveled to Poland, or to the nearest cities.