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The Polish minority in Lithuania (Polish: Polacy na Litwie) numbers 234,989 persons, and at 6.74% of the population of Lithuania (the current population of Lithuania (Polish: Litwa) is estimated at approximately 3,350,400 people), it forms the largest ethnic minority in modern Lithuania and one of the largest Polish diaspora groups in a former Soviet republic. Poles are concentrated in the Vilnius Region (Polish: Wileńszczyzna). People of Polish ethnicity have lived on the territory of modern Lithuania for many centuries. The relationship between the two groups is long and complex. The countries were united during the era of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, but this ended after that state was partitioned in the late 18th century. Both countries succeeded in regaining their independence in the wake of World War I, but hostilities over the ownership of Vilnius (Polish: Wilno) and the surrounding region, broke out in 1920. The disputes became moot after the Soviet Union exercised its authority over both countries during and immediately after World War II. Some tensions over the Vilnius Region resurfaced after Lithuania regained its independence in 1990[1][2], but have since remained at manageable levels. Poland was highly supportive of the Lithuanian independence, and became one of the first countries to recognize independent Lithuania, despite apprehensions over Lithuania's mistreatment of its Polish minority.[3][4][5]
[edit] StatisticsAccording to the Lithuanian census of 2001, the Polish minority in Lithuania numbers 234,989 persons.[6] The Polish minority (or Polonia), forming 6.74% of the population of Lithuania, is the largest ethnic minority in modern Lithuania; the second largest being Russian minority in Lithuania.[6] Poles are concentrated in the Vilnius region. The vast majority of Poles live in Vilnius county (216,012 people, forming 26% of the county's population); Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, has 101,526 Poles, who form 19.3% of the city's population.[7] Especially large Polish communities are found in Vilnius district municipality (61.3% of the population) and Šalčininkai (Soleczniki) district municipality (79.5%).[7] Lithuanian municipalities which, according to the 2001 census, have a Polish minority exceeding 1% of the total population are listed in the table below:
[edit] LanguagesOut of the 234,989 Poles in Lithuania, 187,918 (80.0%) consider the Polish language to be their mother tongue. 22,439 Poles (9.5%) speak Russian as their first language, while 17,233 (7.3%) speak Lithuanian. 6,279 Poles (2.7%) did not indicate their first language. The remaining 0.5% speaks various other languages.[9] [edit] Historical demographics
[edit] Education
As of 1980, about 20% of Polish-Lithuanian students chose Polish at school.[13] In the same year, about 60-70% of rural Polish community chose Polish. However, even in towns with predominantly Polish population the share of Polish language education was less than the percentage of Poles. Even though, historically Poles tended to strongly oppose Russification, one of the most important reasons to choose Russian language education was the absence of Polish language college and university learning in the USSR, and during Soviet times Polish students were not allowed to get college/university education directly in Poland. Only in 2007, the first small branch of the Polish Białystok University opened in Vilnius. In 1980 there were 16,400 school students instructed in Polish. Their number declined to 11,400 in 1990. In independent Lithuania between 1990 and 2001 the number of Polish mother tongue children attending schools with Polish as the language of instruction doubled to over 22,300, then gradually decreased to 18,392 in 2005 [14]. [edit] HistoryPeople of Polish ethnicity have lived in Lithuania for many centuries. Many Poles in Lithuania today are the descendants of Polonized Lithuanians or Ruthenians.[15] Historically, the number of Poles on modern Lithuanian territory has varied during different periods[citation needed]. Polish culture began to influence the Grand Duchy of Lithuania around the time of the Union of Lublin (16th century), and during the time of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (1569-1795) much of the Lithuanian nobility was polonized and joined the Polish-Lithuanian szlachta class. Reformation gave another impetus to the spread of the Polish language, as the Bible and other religious texts were translated from Latin to Polish. In 1697 Polish replaced Ruthenian as an chancellery language. In 19th century peasants of Polish nationality started to appear in Lithuania, mostly by Polonization of Lithuanian peasants[16] in Dzūkija and to a lesser degree in Aukštaitija.
A large portion of the Vilnius area was controlled by the Second Polish Republic during the interwar period, particularly the area of the Republic of Central Lithuania, which contained a significant Polish speaking population (for example, the Wilno Voivodeship in 1931 contained 59.7% Polish speakers and only 5.2% Lithuanian speakers[17]). From 1918 to 1921 several conflicts - such as the activity of Polish Military Organization, Sejny uprising (that was met with massive outrage in Lithuania[18]) and discovered attempted of Polish coup on Lithuanian government[19][20]. From the documents stolen in POW headquarters safe in Vilnius and given to Prime Minister of Lithuania Augustinas Voldemaras it is clear, that this plot was directed by Józef Piłsudski himself.[21], the Polish-Lithuanian War and Żeligowski's Mutiny contributed to worsening of Polish-Lithuanian relations; increasingly Polish people were viewed with suspicion in Lithuania. The loss of Vilnius was a stunning blow to Lithuanian aspirations and identity, and the unrelenting irredentist demand for its return became one of the most important elements of Lithuanian political and social life in the interwar period.[22] The irredentist campaign resulted in the emergence of feelings of hatred and revenge directed against the Poles in the Lithuanian society.[22] In fact, the largest social organization in interwar Lithuania was the League for the liberation of Vilnius (Vilniaus Vadavimo Safunga, or WS), which trumpeted the irredentist line in its magazine "Our Vilnius" (Mūsų Vilnius)." [22] Hence in the interwar period Polish minority was persecuted by the administration of independent Lithuania.[23] The Lithuanian census of 1923 showed that Poles constituted 65,600 of Lithuania inhabitants (3.2% of total population).[24] In interwar Lithuania, people declaring Polish ethicity were officially described as polonized Lithuanians who merely needed to be re-Lithuanianized, Polish-owned land were confistacted, Polish religious services, schools, publications, and voting rights were restricted.[25] During the WWII expulsions and shortly after the war, the Soviet Union, during its struggle to establish the People's Republic of Poland, forcibly resettled many Poles who lived in the Lithuanian SSR and were seen as 'enemies of the state' into Siberia. After the war, in 1945-1948, the Soviet Union allowed to leave 197,000 of Poles to Poland; in 1956-1959, another 46,600 were able to leave.[26][27] In 1950s the remaining Polish minority was a target of several attempted campaigns of Lithuanization by Communist Party of Lithuania, which tried to ban any teaching in Polish language; those attempts where however vetoed by Moscow which saw them as too nationalistic.[28] The Soviet census of 1959 showed 230,100 Poles concentrated in the Vilnius region (8.5% of the Lithuanian SSR's population).[29] The Polish minority increased in size, but more slowly than other ethnic groups in Lithuania; the last Soviet census of 1989 showed 258,000 Poles (7.0% of the Lithuanian SSR's population).[29] The Polish minority, subject in the past to massive, often voluntary [30] Russification and Sovietization, and recently to mostly voluntary processes of Lithuanization, shows many and increasing signs of assimilation with Lithuanians.[29] However some young Poles don't speak Lithuanian fluently, so they prefer to study in Poland or in Polish language University of Białystok branch in Vilnius, rather than in Lithuanian universities.[citation needed] Some Poles living southwards of Vilnius speak a dialect of Polish, containing many substratical relics from Lithuanian and Belarusian language.[31] [edit] Current situationThe situation of the Polish minority in Lithuania has caused occasional tensions in Polish-Lithuanian relations during the late 20th and early 21st centuries. When Lithuania declared its independence from the Soviet Union in 1990, Gorbachev sought help from the Polish minority.[32][33] Polish minority, still remembering the 1950s attempts to ban Polish language,[28] was much more supportive of the Soviet Union and afraid that the new Lithuanian government might want to reintroduce the Lithuanization policies.[28] According to surveys conducted in the spring of 1990, 47% of Poles in Lithuania supported the pro-Soviet Communist party (in contrast to 8% support among ethnic Lithuanians), while 35% supported Lithuanian independence.[28] The regional authorities in Vilnius and Šalčininkai region, under Polish leadership, with support from Soviet authorities, argued for the establishment of an autonomous region in South Eastern Lithuania, a request that was declined by the Lithuanian government and left lasting resentment among some residents.[33][34] The same Polish regional leaders later voiced support for the Soviet coup attempt of 1991 in Moscow.[34] Government of Poland however never supported the separatist tendencies of the Polish minority in Lithuania. Current tensions arise regarding Polish education and spelling of names. The United States Department of State stated, in a report issued in 2001, that the Polish minority had issued complaints with regard to its status in Lithuania, and that members of the Polish Parliament criticized the government of Lithuania over alleged discrimination against the Polish minority. [35] In recent years, the Lithuanian government budgets 40,000 litas (~$15,000) for the needs of the Polish minority (out of the 7 million litas budget of the Department of National Minorities).[36] In 2006 Polish Foreign Minister Stefan Meller asserted that Polish educational institutions in Lithuania are severely underfunded.[37] Similar concerns were voiced in 2007 by a Polish parliamentary commission.[38] According to a report issued by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights in 2004, Poles in Lithuania were the second least-educated minority group in Lithuania.[39] Branch of University of Białystok in Vilnius educates mostly members of the Polish minority. A report by the Council of Europe, issued in 2007, stated that on the whole, minorities were integrated quite well into the everyday life of Lithuania. The report expressed a concern with Lithuanian nationality law, which contains a right of return clause.[40] The citizenship law was under discussion during 2007; it was deemed unconstitutional on 13 November 2006.[41] A proposed constitutional amendment would allow the Polish minority in Lithuania to apply for Polish passports.[42] Several members of the Lithuanian Seimas, including Gintaras Songaila and Andrius Kubilius, publicly stated that two members of the Seimas who represent Polish minority there (Waldemar Tomaszewski and Michal Mackiewicz) should resign, because they accepted the Karta Polaka.[43] A report by the Council of Europe, issued in 2007, stated that on the whole, minorities were integrated quite well into the everyday life of Lithuania. The report expressed a concern with Lithuanian nationality law, which contains a right of return clause, and recommended additional financial support for translations of textbooks.[40] The citizenship law was under discussion during 2007; it was deemed unconstitutional on 13 November 2006.[41] A proposed constitutional amendment would allow the Polish minority in Lithuania to apply for Polish passports.[44]. Lithuanian law stipulates that everyone who has Lithuanian citizenship and resides within the country has to forcibly Lithuanianise their name (i.e. spell it in the Lithuanian phonetics and alphabet); for example, the name Kleczkowski has to be spelled Klečkovski in official documents.[45][46][47][48] Representatives of the Lithuanian government demanded removal of Polish names of the streets in Maišiagala (Mejszagoła), Raudondvaris (Czerwony Dwór), Riešė (Rzesza) and Sudervė (Suderwa).[49][50] Tensions have been reported between the Lithuanian Roman Catholic clergy and its Polish parishioniers in Lithuania.[51][52][53] The situation is further escalated by extremist groups on both sides. Lithuanian extremist nationalist organization Vilnija[33][54][55][56] seeks the Lithuanization of ethnic Poles living in the Eastern part of Lithuania.[28] The former Polish ambassador to Lithuania, Jan Widacki, has criticized some Polish organizations in Lithuania as being extreme far-right and nationalist.[57] Jan Sienkiewicz has criticized Jan Widacki [58]. In late May 2008, Association of Poles in Lithuania issued a letter, addressed to the government of Lithuania, complaining about anti-minority (primarily, anti-Polish) rhetoric in media, citing upcoming parliamentary elections as a motive, and asking for better treatment of the ethnic minorities. The Association has also filed a complain with the Lithuanian prosecutor, asking for investigation of the issue.[59][60][61] Lithuania has not ratified European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages [62]. [edit] Culture[edit] SurnamesThe surnames of Lithuanian Poles are of Polish forms, many of them ending in suffixes -e/owski, -e/owicz, rarer -(ń)ski and more rare -cki (Lithuanian spelling -e/ovski, -e/ovič, -(n)ski, -cki), are commonly the same as their counterparts in Poland and usually has cognates among Lithuanian surnames, what reflects the historical living in the common cultural area, ethnic, cultural or linguistic assimilation, common use of the same Slavic patronymic suffixes: Pol. -e/owski, -e/owicz : Lith. -(i)auskas, -e/avičius : Belarusian -оўскі, -e/овіч. The suffixes -e/owski, -(ń)ski, -cki is historically characteristic to Polish names and -e/ovič − to Belarusian names. The surname ending -e/ovič, which is more frequent among Lithuanians (-e/-avičius), Belarusians and Lithuanian Poles is rarer in Poland. The frequency of Lithuanian-specific surnames among the surnames of Lithuanian Poles is moderate. The sketchy examples[63][64] include anthroponyms of two roots − Talmont, Narvoiš, Bowgerd, Dowgiało, Golmont, Žybort etc.; with Lithuanian patronymic suffixes – Pieciun, Wickun, Mikalajun, Masojć, Matulaniec; with Lithuanian diminutive suffixes − Jurgiel, Wierbiel, Jusel, Drawnel, Rekiel, Szuksztul; Lithuanian root − Garszwo, Plokszto, Pażuś, Gejgall, Szyllo, Wojsznis; Lithuanian root with a Slavic suffix − Mieżewicz, Pażusińskaja, Dziedulewicz, Gilewicz, Błaszkiewicz, Balsewicz, Dajnowicz, Tarejkowicz, Narkiewicz. Measuring the historical ethnic "charge" of a surname has certain specific features, as, for example, there were many surnames made from the same Christian names and Slavic-form suffixes used by Lithuanian, Belarusian and Polish speakers, surnames could also be made from Lithuanian root and Slavic suffix, Belarusian-characteristic root and Polish-characteristic suffix and so on. [edit] OrganizationsThe Lithuanian arm of the "Polonia" diaspora is organized by several groups and associations. The Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania (Lithuanian: Lietuvos lenkų rinkimų akcija, Polish: Akcja Wyborcza Polaków na Litwie) is an ethnic minority-based political party formed in 1994, able to exert significant political influence in the administrative districts where Poles form a majority or significant minority. This party has held 1-2 seats in the parliament of Lithuania for the past decade; in the last general elections it got about 4% of votes. The party is more active in local politics and controls several municipal councils.[65] The Association of Poles in Lithuania (Polish: Związek Polaków na Litwie) is an organization formed in 1989 to bring together Polish activists in Lithuania. It numbers between 6,000 to 11,000 members. It defends the civil rights of the Polish minority and engages in educational, cultural and economic activities.[65] [edit] Prominent Poles[edit] Prior to 1940
[edit] Today
[edit] See also[edit] References
[edit] External links
[edit] Bibliography
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