BELARUSIANS IN POLAND: ASSIMILATION NOT IMPLIED BY
LAW
Hanna Vasilevich
ECMI WORKING PAPER #80
October 2014
ECMI- Working Paper # 80
The European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI) is a non-partisan institution founded in 1996 by the Governments of the Kingdom of Denmark, the Federal Republic of Germany, and the German State of Schleswig-Holstein. ECMI was established in Flensburg, at the heart of the Danish-German border region, in order to draw from the encouraging example of peaceful coexistence between minorities and majorities achieved here. ECMI’s aim is to promote interdisciplinary research on issues related to minorities and majorities in a European perspective and to contribute to the improvement of interethnic relations in those parts of Western and Eastern Europe where ethno-political tension and conflict prevail. ECMI Working Papers are written either by the staff of ECMI or by outside authors commissioned by the Centre. As ECMI does not propagate opinions of its own, the views expressed in any of its publications are the sole responsibility of the author concerned.
ECMI Working Paper # 80 European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI) Director: Dr. Tove H. Malloy © ECMI 2014
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BELARUSIANS IN POLAND: ASSIMILATION NOT IMPLIED BY LAW
This Working Paper focuses on the situation of the Belarusian minority in Poland, an autochthonous ethnic group which traditionally resides in the eastern parts of today’s Podlaskie Voivodship and represents an integral part of the Belarusian -Polish borderland. The text argues that although Polish minority-related legislation formally complies with the international standards, its general effectiveness is significantly impeded by overall regional development of the Padliašša/Podlasie region.
Hanna Vasilevich October 2014 ECMI Working Paper # 80
I. INTRODUCTION Belarusians in Poland, despite being the third- Belarusians represent an autochthonous largest officially recognised minority after population in the Padliašša/Podlasie3 region Germans and since 2011 Ukrainians, do not which roughly corresponds to the territory of attract much attention. When the problem the Podlaske Voivodship. Being a part of the concerns minorities, Germans or Ukrainians Belarusian-Polish borderland, the are usually mentioned. Further focus is placed Padliašša/Podlasie region is historically very on the Jewish minority which has strong links important for the Belarusians. This with Holocaust issues.1 Moreover, there is still Belarusian-Polish borderland represents a an ongoing debate with a strong political region which is distinguished by relatively dimension whether Silesians should be treated stable coexistence and interaction of different as a specific ethnic group within the context ethnic groups and cultures, which has resulted of Polish minority-related legislation.2 Thus, in the formation of a unique type of a rather despite their relatively large numbers specific culture, characterized by mutual Belarusians remain somewhat in the shadow tolerance and lack of conflict among the of other minorities in Poland in terms of members of different ethnic and religious academic research. communities.4 This area is therefore an
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example of state borders that do not coincide border.9 While terminology can produce with the ethnic ones and in which often associations with Polish domination and linguistic and ethnic cultural factors5 do not oppression against the Belarusian identity correspond to each other.6 The area is among Belarusians, Poles can link this characterised by a rather stable ethnic interpretation with positive nostalgic consciousness of its population, but at the feelings.10 Second, the Belarusian-Polish same time it features a simultaneous borderland is often portrayed as a borderland belonging to different cultures and knowledge between East and West, or in Huntington’s of different languages.7 That is why the area typology Western and Orthodox of the Belarusian-Polish borderland in general civilizations.11 That is why the religious factor and the Padliašša/Podlasie region in particular is at least as important here as the ethnic one. can be regarded as a historically defined topos Third, frequent changes of the borders that which is situated in Europe’s geographic have occurred in the region in the 20th centre and is internally configured by the century have made it possible for scholars to factor of the Belarusian-Polish state border.8 treat entire Belarus as a borderland between Russia and Poland since “the position of II. HISTORY OF BELARUSIANS Belarus between the two powerful and culturally different neighbors indicates that IN POLAND WITHIN THE their influence, both individual and combined, CONTEXT OF TODAY’S BORDER is a major determinant of Belarus’s identity, FORMATION comparable in its significance to its indigenous tendencies”.12 The very notion “Belarusians in Poland” To understand the complexity of the within the context of historical developments ethnic and religious developments in the in the region where they currently reside has Belarusian-Polish borderland, an in-depth always had somewhat different meanings overview of the region’s history and border within wider historical and national formation is required. Once a part of the perspectives. These different meanings have a Grand Duchy of Lithuania bound by the union strong connection with the historical with the Kingdom of Poland, at the end of the narratives in the region as well with the 18th century the region was annexed by the formation of people’s identities. Russian Empire. There on the remnants of the First, within the context of the Polish old state a number of competing national ideas worldview, the Belarusian-Polish borderland emerged which after the 1863 anti-Russian is referred to as kresy wschodnie (eastern uprising embraced the mass population13, as borderlands). Therefore it is largely perceived “some patriots [of the former Commonwealth as a historical, political and cultural reality of Both Nations] recast the nation as the and is thus present in the historical narratives people, and nationality as the language they and consciousness of the local Belarusians spoke”.14 Each of these narratives had its own and Poles who live on both sides of the grounds, arguments and scope of
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opportunities, resulted in failures or and Polish.”19 Thus, the historical achievements which could be summarized as developments in the region demonstrate that: understanding of the present in terms of Belarusian Catholics were much more easily closed possibilities.15 subjected to the assimilation and embrace of As for the territory of the current Polish ethnic identity, Podlaskie Voivodship, in the beginning of the Orthodoxy was a sort of additional and 20th century this area was the place where very crucial protection element in preserving Belarusian and Polish national ideas competed Belarusian identity in Padliašša/Podlasie. with each other. This rivalry cannot probably The First World War became a turning point be considered as a full-fledged competition in the formation of modern Europe dominated due to the fact that Polish nationalism was by a new form of statehood – a nation state older and much more developed. This can also emerged as a result of the old world’s be explained by an overwhelmingly rural problems, but this form of statehood did not character of the Belarusian ethnic element, provide every nation with equal possibilities.20 lack of national bourgeoisie and thus the very Poland “had emerged from the swirling belatedness of the Belarusian national process of modern statecraft as battered movement.16 Another aspect to be considered victors, establishing lessened replicas of the is the confessional affiliation which in terms old imperial order with a large, diverse of the Padlašša/Podlasie has been a very territory and a heterogeneous, multicultural important factor. On the one hand, the population”.21 Belarus was much less overwhelming majority of persons who successful in achieving its national goals, as belong to the Belarusian minority in Poland the attempts to establish a nation-state on the are affiliated with the Orthodox Church. On ethnic Belarusian lands failed in 1918. the other hand, in terms of the region’s ethnic Subsequently in 1919 the Belarusian Soviet history, this linkage between Belarusian Socialist Republic was proclaimed on part of national identity and Orthodox religious this territory, while later in 1921 the country affiliation has not always been the case. For was divided between Soviet Russia and instance, the results of the 1897 Census of the Poland.22 As a result, Belarusian ethnic lands Russian Empire showed the domination of the were cut almost in half and what is now the Belarusian ethnic component in the Belarusian-Polish borderland became part of predominantly Catholic Sakolka/Sokółka the re-established Poland. municipality.17 However, the same group of Such a configuration of the border left peasant Catholic Belarusians in this area faced Polish Belarusians largely rural so that their the shift towards Polish national identity national “intelligentsia was too small to serve which was revealed in a relatively strong as an ally for any Polish political formation” movement for schooling in Polish.18 Russian and “Belarusian national aspirations within authorities emphasised in their reports Poland were seen as crypto-Bolshevism.”23 “Belarusian Catholics consider themselves Moreover, “in the inter-war period, protection Poles and speak with each other in Belarusian of rights of national minorities posed a serious
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political problem to Poland which to a large transfer of the most of its parts together with extent had not been resolved then”.24 It meant two districts of the adjacent Region of Brest to that all these minorities should be integrated Poland.29 Upon accomplishment of this in a manner that “all the natives of the Roman transfer, the current border between two Catholic faith were registered as Polish”. Even countries was established. though “many of those [people]… could not The subsequent population transfers even speak the language, it was believed that conducted by the authorities on the both sides being Roman Catholic in faith”, it was of the border contributed to the ethnic expected that “they would be completely homogenization of the territories.30 As a result assimilated within ten years or so”.25 The of the Second World War, the integrity of a outcomes of such policies led to the decrease once territorially homogenous area was of the number of Belarusians in interwar destroyed and this process marked the triumph Poland: initially calculated around 3 million, it of modern nationalism over traditional was reduced to 1,060,000 (census of 1921) patriotism, so that “the mass populations and then to 990,000 (census of 1931), though embraced modern national ideas”.31 the latter figure should be interpreted in The remaining minority community of combination with the category Locals Belarusians in Poland found itself under the (Belarusian: tutejšyja, Polish: tutejsi), country’s new communist rule. For the introduced in the census of 1931, which Belarusian minority in Poland the Communist numbered 707,000 persons, “who were regime was twofold. probably all Belarusians”.26 On the one hand, it eliminated the Polish The events of September 1939 when the anti-communist paramilitary formations of the interwar Polish state was partitioned as a Poland's Home Army (Polish: Armia result of the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact have Krajowa) from the Padliašša/Podlasie region. been interpreted in an opposite way in Belarus Some authors argue that paramilitary actions and Poland. For Poles it is the country’s fourth of these anti-communist formations against partition, while for Belarusians it is the the region’s Orthodox population caused the nation’s unification, although within the growing mistrust of the Belarusian minority USSR.27 As a result, the Belarusian SSR towards ethnic Poles and Catholics and incorporated much of today Podlaskie simultaneously increased support of the new Voivodship of Poland with the city of Communist authorities that crushed those Białystok (Belarusian: Bielastok) as a regional formations.32 centre.28 However, after the Second World On the other hand, the Polish Communist War the border between the USSR and Poland regime attempted to institutionalise and was revised according to the Polish-Soviet centralise the life of national minorities border treaty of August 1945. This conducted under the formula “one minority – international treaty led to the liquidation of the one organisation”. Thus, in 1956 the Polish Belarusian SSR’s Region of Bielastok authorities granted the Belarusian minority the (Bielastockaja voblasć) and the subsequent possibility to establish the Belarusian Social
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and Cultural Society (Belarusian: Bielaruskaje Another peculiarity of the Padliašša/Podlasie hramadska-kuĺturnaje tavarystva).33 It was that has historically affected all ethnic groups established from above, as there had been no living there is that this region is one of the significant impulses from the Belarusian poorest in Poland.39 The economic situation society to launch it.34 This was the only legal thus implies potential migration to the urban organisation that acted on behalf of the entire areas especially among the youth. Since the minority group, being an umbrella for the cities in Poland were overwhelmingly entire national activities of Belarusians in dominated by the titular nation, migration Poland. As all other minority organizations, in from rural to urban areas meant for the Poland it was subordinated to the Polish persons belonging to the Belarusian minority Interior Ministry which also financed it. It is accelerated assimilation, i.e. gradual unclear whether this subordination might have Polonisation and changing of the ethnic caused potential difficulties for the national identity within one or two generations. Some minorities in the country such as Poland members of the Belarusian minority describe where there had always been a strong anti- this predisposition to the assimilation by: Communist sentiment. However, it is very (1) connection of their Belarusian origin likely that this status of minority organisations with the negative memories on their and their was not much appreciated by the nationally- family’s poorness and achievement of the oriented informal groups in the Polish society. relative prosperity in the cities40, and Furthermore, the subordination of the (2) negative reaction towards the spoken Belarusians (as any other minority) by the Belarusian language and Belarusian Interior Ministry became a tool for effective publications by the Polish majority, the case control of their activities.35 Simultaneously particularly applicable in the city of with the Belarusian Cultural Society, a Bialystok.41 Belarusian-language weekly “Niva” was Thus, despite significant successes in established. Additionally, the authorities combating radical Polish nationalism Poland’s permitted learning of the Belarusian language Communist regime failed to entirely eliminate and more than 10,000 pupils in the schools the mistrust between the Poles and the throughout Padlašša/Podlasie started learning Belarusians in the Padliašša/Podlasie region their mother tongue.36 These activities were where these two ethnic groups collided. At the closely linked with the undertakings of the same time, policies of economic Belarusian Social and Cultural Society that industrialisation and urbanisation pursued by “published calendars and books of poetry, the Communist authorities predisposed organised folk music festivals and literary persons belonging to the Belarusian minority competitions for young people and in Poland to the ongoing assimilation. children.”37 There was also the Belarusian Museum in Bielavieža/Białowieża that was closed in 1976 for lack of success.38
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III. CURRENT SITUATION OF Belarusian as the only language for BELARUSIANS IN POLAND communication at home as well as a further 22,498 for whom Belarusian is one of the According to official Polish statistics, languages used in the family – among them Belarusians are the third-largest national there are 22,419 who combine Belarusian and 42 minority of the country. Belarusians in Polish languages.53 Thus, the number of those Poland are an ethnic group that has who use Belarusian in their home traditionally resided in the south-eastern areas communication in Poland dropped 43 of the Podlaskie Voivodship. During two approximately 14 thousand between 2011 and 44 national censuses of 2002 and 2011 in the 2002 and amounted to only 65% of the Republic of Poland the number of ethnic amount shown by the first census. This trend 45 Belarusians decreased from 48,737 to 46, is partly explained through the increase of 46 787. In the core area which is the declaring of various dialects and patois Voivodship of Podlachia, this number spoken in the area as the languages for home 47 48 decreased from 46,420 to 39,105. communication which is especially typical for Contrary to the 2002 census, the 2011 the area where Belarusian is traditionally census foresaw an option to choose multiple spoken.54 This trend may be observed by the identities. Among those who declared activities of some Belarusian activists who themselves as Belarusians 30,195 persons promote elevation of “a more or less declared Belarusian ethnicity as the sole one, standardized version of Podlachian local while 36,399 claimed Belarusian ethnicity as dialects to the status of their full-fledged their primary identity; a further 10,388 minority language, along with the standard persons named Belarusian ethnicity as their Belarusian”.55 49 second identity. As a result, 64.54% of The Polish Law on national and ethnic Polish Belarusians define Belarusian as their minorities and on regional languages in its primary identity which characterizes Article 9 stipulates that the minority language Belarusians in Poland as the group with the may be used along with the official language highest percentage of self-consciousness as a supporting one in the municipalities among all recognized national and ethnic where “the number of minority residents, minorities. whose language is to be used as a supporting The number of those who recognized one, is no less than 20 percent of the total Belarusian as their mother tongue is as high as number of the municipality residents and who 50 17,480. However, the use of the language in have been entered into the Official Register of home communication is somewhat more Municipalities, hereafter referred to as widespread, despite the fact that the number "Official Register," where a supporting of those who declared the use of Belarusian in language is used”. The same threshold applies their home communication has dropped from to the opportunity to use bilingual signs of 51 52 40,650 in 2002 to 26,448 in 2011. The places and street names (Art. 12). Such a latter figure contains those 3,950 who use municipality should be included into the
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Register of municipalities where names are 3, 2007), Orla (May 7, 2009), Narewka (June used in the respective minority language. 16, 2009), Czyże (Feburary 8, 2010), and The following table provides a list of Hajnówka (May 28, 2010). Moreover, since municipalities with the significant number of January 11, 2011 bilingual signs of places Belarusians according to the censuses of 2002 have been introduced in the municipality of and 201156: Orla. Thus, despite increasing assimilation Table 1: Municipalities with significant share of tendencies, the situation of the Belarusian 57 Belarusians in Poland minority is unique for Poland since the Census Municipalities (percentage) municipalities where it constitutes a majority 2002 Czyże (81.8%) Dubicze Cerkiewne (81.3%) are located next to each other and are Orla (68.93%) surrounded by areas where Belarusians form a Hajnówka (64.9%) considerable minority and a border to Belarus. Narew (49.2%) However, only one of these 12 Narewka (47.3%) Bielsk Podlaski (46.7%) municipalities (Orlia/Orla from May 7, 2009) Kleszczele (41.8%) has so far introduced bilingual place-names. Czeremcha (28.7%) The main arguments against such practices are Hajnówka – town (26.4%) the huge financial burden as well as the Gródek (23.1%) Bielsk Podlaski – town (20.7%) implication that these bilingual signs are Nurzec Stacja (16.4%) “unnecessary”.59 It seems that the appearance Michałowo (14.2%) of the bilingual place-names is however a Milejczyce (13.1%) Białowieża (11.5%) matter of time but that more political will is 2011 Czyże (76.5%) needed. Moreover, it seems possible to Dubicze Cerkiewne (63.7%) expand the visibility of the Belarusian Orla (56.0%) language in the Padlašša/Podlasie region for Hajnówka (51.7%) the areas traditionally linked with the Narewka (39.0%) Narew (37.0%) Belarusian culture and Belarusians even Bielsk Podlaski (36.2%) though the current percentage of the Hajnówka – town (22.9%) Belarusians in these areas is less than 20 per
cent. As the table above shows, Belarusians So far the use of the Belarusian language constitute the absolute majority in four is thus publicly almost “invisible” since its municipalities – Czyże, Dubicze Cerkiewne, usage is limited to Belarusian media or Orla and Hajnówka.58 At the same time, the schools. According to the Polish official data number of municipalities where Belarusians there are only 3,664 pupils in 40 public have constituted more than 20 percent of the schools in Poland who learn the Belarusian population dropped from 12 in 2002 to 9 in language.60 2011. There are five municipalities that have The most visible examples of the introduced Belarusian language as a Belarusian media in Poland are Warsaw-based supporting one - Hajnówka – town (December
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Belsat TV in Warsaw and Bialystok-based music festivals and literary meetings are Radio Racja which all are financed organised on a regular basis. Amongst them predominantly by the Polish government, as one can mention: well as daily radio programme and weekly TV programme made by the local branches of Festival of Orthodox Church Music in Polish Radio and Polish Television Hajnaŭka/Hajnówka, or 61 respectively. Belarusian youth music festival However, Belarusian language and “Basovišča” in Haradok/Gródek.66 Belarusian-related issues are represented by the weekly Niva (1,300 copies) and bilingual Finally, the Belarusian minority is active in Belarusian-Polish monthly Czasopis (800 Polish politics, having had their 62 copies). Among other titles issued in representatives present in the governing Belarusian or dealing with Belarusian issues bodies of the various levels in the Podlaskie one can mention the following titles: Epocha, Voivodship. At the same time, the political Haradockija Naviny, Pravincyja, Termapiły, participation of Belarusians at the national and Annus Albaruthenicus, Bielski Hościnieć and regional elections has always been more Przegląd Prawosławny. effective within the platform provided by Even though according to the 2002 national-wide political parties, and census Belarusians constitute only 2.5 per cent particularly the Democratic Left Alliance.67 of the citizens of Bialystok the city is known Thus, after the crash of the Communism in as the centre of the Belarusian media outside Poland four ethnic Belarusians have been 63 Belarus. Thus, Belarusian language is elected to the Polish Parliament (see Table 2). represented in the regional Polish media but its spread hardly reaches beyond the Table 2: Ethnic Belarusians in the Polish Sejm Belarusian minority in Poland or ethnic Name Political Years in the Belarusians in general. Group Parliament Eugeniusz Democratic 2001-present, Belarusians in Poland have their own Czykwin Left Alliance also 1985- organisations. “The Belarusian Federation (SLD) 199368 established in 1990, unites seven Aleksander Democratic 2001-2005 organisations and works without any financial Czuż Left Alliance (SLD) support from the Polish government.”64 There Sergiusz Democratic 2001-2005 are also Belarusian organisations oriented on Plewa Left Alliance youth or specific target groups. Among them (SLD) one can mention the Belarusian youth Jan Democratic 1997-2001 movement which consists of the Belarusian Syczewski Left Alliance (SLD) Student Union and the Union of Belarusian Youth, the Belarusian Literary Association As can be seen, the Belarusian minority has Bielavieża and the Association of Belarusian been traditionally leftist and pro-SLD 65 Journalists. Various cultural events such as oriented. One of its former leaders and once
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the top-level Polish politician Włodzimierz in Poland is distorted, which means that this Cimoszewicz was particularly popular community is much older than the country’s amongst Belarusians.69 average73. Despite the fact that he never declared his This distorted structure implies that if Belarusian ethnicity, the Belarusian minority the current path is followed the number of considered him as “theirs”.70 As for local Belarusians in Poland could face a significant elections, it is generally observed that in the decrease in their number within a rather short areas where Belarusian or Orthodox period of time. Therefore, the attitudes of the population constitutes a significant majority Belarusian activists towards the official the issue of their political affiliation with number of Belarusians in Poland revealed by Belarusian, Orthodox or nation-wide political the national censuses of 2002 and 2011 should parties is of secondary importance.71 be discussed. The results of the first were criticised by Belarusians from two angles. The first one dealt with the issue of losing the IV. OBSTACLES AND region’s cultural diversity and the threat of CONCLUSIONS minorities´ assimilation. It was linked with the second angle which referred to the lack of the In regard to the situation of the Belarusian Law on national minorities in force in Poland. minority in Poland, there are two issues which For instance, Professor Jaŭhien Miranovič require particular attention: stated in 2004 in the weekly “Niva” that Social both of internal and external “unless the law becomes reality the number of nature; and Political both of domestic and foreign Table 3: Age structure of Belarusians in Poland dimensions. Economic Average Belarusians Comments These two issues will be viewed age group level in in Poland, accordingly one after another. Poland, per cent per cent
Pre- 23.15 13.90 6th lowest working among all A. Social dimension age (0-17) ethnic and national It is argued that the most important problem minorities of the Belarusian minority in Poland is “the Working 61.80 52.12 3rd lowest among all rapid assimilation process that has happened age 72 (18-59/64) ethnic and over the past few years.” Even though the national Polish Law on national and ethnic minorities minorities and on regional languages prohibits any kind Post- 15.04 33.98 4th highest of measures aimed at the assimilation of working among all age (60/65 ethnic and minorities, the assimilation takes place. As, and older) national the table 3 shows, the age structure of the minorities persons belonging to the Belarusian minority
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Germans, Belarusians or Lithuanians will creates a unique phenomenon considering the approach the today’s number of Tatars or fact that Roman Catholicism is traditionally Karaites that are shown as an example of considered one of the main milestones of multiculturalism in Poland”.74 This refers to Polishness. Therefore, the autochthonous the Polish government which has pointed to Orthodox population of the region regardless the Tatars or Karaites as demonstrating of their ethnic affiliation is often commonly diversity in Poland. It is important to mention referred to an “Orthodox minority”.79 Thus, here that that according to the 2002 census despite the fact that the Belarusian identity in Germans made up 0.4% of the population, the Padlašša/Podlasie region is limited nearly Belarusians – 0.13%, and Lithuanians – to the adherents of the Orthodox confession, 0.02%, while on the other hand both Tatars the religious factor and conservatism of the and Karaites made up less than 0.01% of the Orthodox population may in fact speak for the population. Belarusian organizations by more actively The results of the 2011 census are still addressing the multicultural consciousness of seen as very optimistic due to the fact that the borderland population, for instance “[i]t is difficult to find any trace of through promoting their adherence to both Belarusianess on the streets of Bielastok, Belarusian and Polish nations.80 Bielsk Padliaški, or Hajnaŭka, where most of the Belarusian population lives.”75 It is thus B. Political dimension argued that in the cities and towns where Belarusian minority resides Polish language This dimension has both internal and external “is not just dominant — it is exclusive” while aspects. Belarusian speech is more typical for the rural First it concerns the predominantly leftist areas in which “[t]he older generation that political views of Belarusians with the used Belarusian speech most often is subsequent attitude of the Polish majority in departing, due to natural causes.”76 the context of the Communist past and Another issue is the religious factor partly Orthodox religions of Belarusians. As it was described above. The Padlašša/Podlasie region shown above, Polish nationalism was seen as is still referred to within a stereotypical the biggest evil for the Orthodox Belarusian perspective when ethnic breakdown is often population. Thus, current antagonisms equated to the confessional one, i.e. within the between Belarusians and Polish nationalists region a Catholic is perceived as a Pole while may cause additional difficulties for the an Orthodox – as a Belarusian.77 At the same Belarusian minority particularly in the context time, the 2002 census showed that in the of stained Belarus-Poland relations. Another Padlašša/Podlasie region with its 150-200 important issue is the attempts of the Polish thousands of people who belong to the authorities to do away with the country’s Orthodox confession only about one third communist past which sometimes can declared Belarusian ethnicity.78 The others indirectly incite interethnic hatred. For two thirds have adopted Polish identity which instance, “sometimes certain local Białystok
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newspapers argue that Belarusians contributed and customs and to participate actively in the to the introduction of communism into governing of the region where they live,”84 i.e Poland”81 which can lead to a potentially to fulfil its collective rights of not being growing public perception of the region’s discriminated by the majority. The policies of Belarusians as a non-autochthonous foreign the democratic Poland with regards to the group. Finally, the borders of the electoral Belarusian minority prior to the EU accession districts in the Podlaskie Voivodship towards may have been best described by Polish writer the inclusion of all areas where Belarusians and intellectual Jerzy Giedroyc’s quote of constitute a majority or a significant minority August 2000: “We conduct the worst possible have long been a subject of harsh debates that policies toward the Belarusian minority. It to same extent included regional authorities, damages our image.”85 It implies that despite Belarusian minority and occasionally internal democratisation and introduction of produced critics from the Belarusian Foreign individual human rights, until 2005 Poland Ministry. had failed to implement a comprehensive The second dimension is the relationship domestic Law on national minorities that of the Belarusian minority in Poland with could also protect their collective rights. Belarus. In the view what has been mentioned From the formal perspective, Polish minority- above the treatment of the Belarusian minority related legislation provides comprehensive in Poland has to become the regular issue of protection for its minorities. Moreover, it Belarusian-Polish relations. It may be largely provides funds for maintenance of assumed that since the very beginning of its minority culture and education. At the same independent foreign policy82 Belarus took time, despite the fact that Art. 5 of the Polish close attention to the problems of the Law on national minorities prohibits any kind Belarusians in Poland.83 However, the current of assimilation and measures aimed at a state of Belarusian-Polish relations leaves for change of ethnic proportions in the minority- the Belarusians in Poland in fact somewhat populated territories, in the case of the less chances for protection by their kin-state. Belarusian minority the actual assimilation is In other words, any intrusion of the Belarusian taking place followed by changes of ethnic authorities into issues related to the Belarusian proportions in the areas in question. Thus, minority in Poland may be interpreted as an despite all positive developments pursued by attempt of the undemocratic regime of the Polish state, it is still required to Lukašenka to legitimise itself. significantly improve the economic component of minority protection which V. OUTPUT encompasses overall regional development in order to provide people with more incentives Having no separatist tendencies but to stay in their respective regions. undergoing rapid assimilation, the Belarusian As for participation of minorities in the minority in Poland aims to “be treated as decision-making process, Belarusians can be equals, to be able to develop their own culture seen as a role model. According to the results
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of the 2002 national census none of the other electoral district could provide an additional minorities has such a large territorial potential impetus for these endeavours. which includes a number of several adjacent Further enhancement of the qualitative municipalities where Belarusians are in the policies towards the Belarusian minority in majority or constitute a considerable Poland can also have real impact on bilateral minority86 which includes the Belarusian-Polish relations. It is the Hajnaŭka/Hajnówka commune (Polish: Padlašša/Podlasie region that can significantly powiat) and eastern parts of the Bielsk- contribute to the democratisation and Padliašski/Bielsk Podlaski commune.87 The Europeanisation of Belarus88 as well as long-debated issue on the inclusion of all become a real bridge in reconciled Belarusian- areas where Belarusians constitute the Polish relations. majority or a significant minority into one
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Endnotes
1 See: Zimmermann, Lynn W (ed.). Jewish Studies and Holocaust Education in Poland (Jefferson: McFarland, 2013). 2 Kowalski, Mariusz. Białorusini w Polsce według Spisu 2002 (Belarusians in Poland according to the 2002 census), in: Czasopis, 06/2004. At:
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29 Trusaŭ, Aleh. Nieviadomaja nam kraina: Bielaruś u jaje etnahrafičnych miežach (A country unknown for us: Belarus in its ethnographic borders) (Minsk: Knihazbor, 2009), 94-96. 30 Snyder, Op. cit. note 13, 2-5. 31 Ibid. 32 Maksimiuk, Jan. “Z bližejšych płastoŭ zabyćcia (From the nearest layers of slumber)”, 7-8 Arche (2006),47-48. At:
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57 Gross, Krzysztof. ‘Ilu w której gminie Białorusinów’ (How many Belarusians are there in each municipality), 2 Czasopis (2004). At: < http://kamunikat.fontel.net/www/czasopisy/czasopis/2004-02/15.htm>; List of municipalities where not less than 20% of population belongs to national or ethnic minorities or uses regional language, Ministry of Administration and Digitization of Poland. At:
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83 Kraŭčanka, Piotr, Belarus na rasputje: zapiski diplomata i politika (Belarus at the crossroads: Memoirs of a diplomat and politician), published in the newspaper Narodnaja Vola. At:
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hanna Vasilevich ECMI Project Research Associate Contact: [email protected]
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION SEE
EUROPEAN CENTRE FOR MINORITY ISSUES (ECMI) Schiffbruecke 12 (Kompagnietor) D-24939 Flensburg +49-(0)461-14 14 9-0 * fax +49-(0)461-14 14 9-19 * E-Mail: [email protected] * Internet: www.ecmi.de
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