Soviet program for the resettlement and deportation of the Poles of the Ukrainian SSR in the late 1920s – 1936s.

Abstract

The relocation of Poles to republican and allied foundations was associated with land famine, border-dwelling, cultural and linguistic and other interests. For this reason, the formation of IDPs on a national basis and their relocation to the places of compact residence of the respective ethnic groups were considered most appropriate.

As of 1925, the Polish rural population in the northwestern districts of the USSR was 371 thousand, of which 97.4 thousand were the so-called «surplus population».

According to a 10-year plan (1925 - 1935), an immediate resettlement of nearly 100,000 Polish peasants was planned.

The selection of a contingent of immigrants from Polish small-country villages was based on the general requirements established for the immigrants to the south of Ukraine: family composition – 5 people with 3 able-bodied, material security – 500 rubles.

In the process of selecting a migrant contingent, preference is given to agricultural collectives, for which favorable conditions for the development of collective forms of management were created in the settlements.

The changing geopolitical situation (the signing of the non-aggression agreement between Poland and Germany on January 26, 1934) influenced the internal politics of the Communist-Soviet regime against the Polish and German populations, especially in the western border of the USSR. Already since the mid-1930's agrarian resettlement began to be replaced by forced evictions–deportations. They were caused by the failure of the Sovietization of ethnic groups, their persistent resistance to forced collectivization, and the maintenance of ties with their historical homeland, religiosity. The forced evictions were planned on the initiative and under the control of the top party leadership and personally by J. Stalin.