In the late 18th century, Poland lost its independence in the course of the Partitions of Poland, and its territory was annexed by Prussia (later Germany), Russia and Austria, while Uzbek khanates were conquered by Russia in the 19th century. Russian-controlled Uzbek territory was one of the places to which Poles were either deported as political prisoners from the Russian Partition of Poland or were sent after being conscripted to the Russian Army.[2] According to the 1897 census, the overwhelming majority of Poles in Uzbek lands lived in the cities, with the largest populations in Tashkent (2,206), Samarkand (1,072), Fergana (727), Toʻrtkoʻl (299), Kokand (215), Kattakurgan (211), Andijan (194) and Namangan (191).[3][4][5] The Poles built the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Tashkent, also known as the Polish Church, now a cultural heritage site of the Uzbek capital.
Following the joint German-Soviet invasion of Poland, which started World War II in 1939, the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic was one of the destinations for the deportations of Poles from Soviet-occupied eastern Poland.[6] An estimated of 100,000 Poles were deported to Uzbekistan.[7] In early 1942, the Polish Anders' Army along with thousands of civilians was relocated to the Uzbek and Kyrgyz SSRs, and Gʻuzor became the organizational center of the army.[8] The Poles suffered from epidemics and famine, so they opened temporary feeding centers, orphanages, clinics and small hospitals, yet 2,500 soldiers and many more civilians still died.[9][10][11] A remnant of this period are Polish military cemeteries located in 15 cities in Uzbekistan, including Chiroqchi, Gʻuzor, Jizzakh, Karmana, Kenimekh, Kitob, Margilan, Olmazor, Qarshi, Shahrisabz, Tashkent, Yakkabogʻ, Yangiyoʻl.[11] Since mid-1942, the Soviets thwarted Polish efforts to improve the situation, and carried out arrests of the staff of the Polish diplomatic posts, first Władysław Bugajski in Tashkent in May 1942, and then the staff of the post in Samarkand in July 1942, and then seized and closed the post.[10] In 1942, the Anders' Army with many civilians was evacuated to Iran. As of 1943, there were still over 25,000 Polish citizens in Uzbekistan, according to Soviet data.[12] After the war, over 32,000 Poles were repatriated from the Uzbek SSR to Poland in 1946–1948.[13]
In the 1970s, Polish priest Józef Świdnicki conducted clandestine services for Catholics in Uzbekistan, and after his release from a Soviet forced labour camp in 1987, he founded five Catholic communities.[7] In 1991, Polish Franciscans assumed Catholic priest duties in Tashkent.[7]
In 1997, there were some 3,000 Poles in Uzbekistan.[1] Since then, many Poles left Uzbekistan, and 2023 estimates give the total number of Poles and people of Polish descent in Uzbekistan at 2,000.[1]
Culture
The Poles are organized in several associations, which aim is to preserve, nurture and promote Polish culture in Uzbekistan, with a total of some 1,200 members as of 2023.[1]
Totskoye is a rural locality and the administrative center of Totsky District of Orenburg Oblast, Russia. Population: 6,898 (2010 Census); 7,201 (2002 Census); 7,095 (1989 Census).
Gʻuzor is a city in Qashqadaryo Region in southern Uzbekistan. It serves as the administrative center of Gʻuzor District. Its population is 24,500 (2016).
Kielce Governorate was an administrative unit (governorate) of Congress Poland.
Warsaw Governorate was an administrative unit (governorate) of Congress Poland.
The Greeks in Uzbekistan number approximately 9,000. The community is made up of Greeks from Russia who were deported by force from that country to Uzbekistan in the 1940s, and political refugees from Greece. The biggest Greek community in the country is in the capital city of Tashkent where most of the Greek political refugees were relocated by the Soviet authorities.
Husynne is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Hrubieszów, within Hrubieszów County, Lublin Voivodeship, in eastern Poland, close to the border with Ukraine. It lies approximately 8 kilometres (5 mi) east of Hrubieszów and 109 km (68 mi) south-east of the regional capital Lublin.
Poles in Kazakhstan form one portion of the Polish diaspora in the former Soviet Union. Slightly less than half of Kazakhstan's Poles live in the Karaganda region, with another 2,500 in Astana, 1,200 in Almaty, and the rest scattered throughout rural regions.
Kurds in Russia form a major part of the historically significant Kurdish population in the post-Soviet space, with close ties to the Kurdish communities in the Caucasus and Central Asia.
Oryol Governorate, or the Government of Oryol, was an administrative division of the Russian Empire and the early Russian SFSR, which existed from 1796 to 1928. Its seat was in the city of Oryol.
Vladimir-Volynsky Uyezd was an administrative subdivision of Volhynian Governorate in the Russian Empire. It was created in 1795 as Vladimirsky Uyezd within Volhynian Viceroyalty soon after the annexation of eastern Poland by Russia. Its seat was located in Volodymyr (Vladimir-Volynsky).
Lodeynopolsky Uyezd was one of the seven subdivisions of the Olonets Governorate of the Russian Empire. Its capital was Lodeynoye Pole. Lodeynopolsky Uyezd was located in the southern part of the governorate. In terms of present-day administrative borders, the territory of Lodeynopolsky Uyezd is divided between the Lodeynopolsky and Podporozhsky districts of Leningrad Oblast and Vytegorsky District of Vologda Oblast.
Kazakhstan–Poland relations refer to bilateral relations between Kazakhstan and Poland. Relations focus on growing trade and politicial cooperation. Both countries are members of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, World Trade Organization and United Nations.
Tatishchevo is an urban locality in Tatishchevsky District of Saratov Oblast, Russia. Population: 7,491 (2010 Census); 7,432 (2002 Census); 16,472 (1989 Census).
Sudzhansky Uyezd was one of the subdivisions of Kursk Governorate of the Russian Empire. It was situated in the western part of the governorate. Its administrative centre was Sudzha.
Kyrgyzstan–Poland relations are bilateral relations between Kyrgyzstan and Poland. Both nations are full members of the OSCE, World Trade Organization and United Nations.
Poland–Turkmenistan relations are bilateral relations between Poland and Turkmenistan. Both nations are full members of the OSCE and United Nations.
Poland–Uzbekistan relations are bilateral relations between Poland and Uzbekistan. The countries enjoy good relations, based on growing trade, and political and educational cooperation. Both nations are full members of the OSCE and United Nations.
Poles in Turkmenistan form a small population of 501, according to the 1995 census, and Polish presence in Turkmenistan dates back to the 19th century.
Poles in Kyrgyzstan form a small population, part of the Polish diaspora in Central Asia. Polish presence in Kyrgyzstan dates back to the 19th century.
Poles in Tajikistan form a small population, part of the Polish diaspora in Central Asia.
References
1 2 3 4 5 6 Wyszyński, Robert; Leszczyński, Karol (2023). Atlas Polaków na świecie (in Polish). Warszawa: Instytut Pokolenia. p.67. ISBN978-83-968580-3-0.
1 2 Ziółkowska, Ewa (2002). "Polskie groby w Uzbekistanie i Kazachstanie. W 60. rocznicę polskiego wychodźstwa z ZSRR". Wspólnota Polska (in Polish). No.3–4 (116–117). pp.64–65. ISSN1429-8457.
↑ Masiarz, Władysław (1997). "Przesiedlenie i repatriacja Polaków z Azji Środkowej w 1946 r.". Zesłaniec (in Polish). No.2. Warszawa. p.109.
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