On some aspects of Russian-Polish bilingualism in the Russian Empire in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries

Abstract

This article deals with the issues of Russian-Polish bilingualism in the Russian Empire in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Within the framework of the empire, the area of settlement of Poles was not limited to the territory of the Kingdom of Poland. Their presence in various Russian regions is shown by the example of the activities of “Polonies” in the Kharkov province, the North Caucasus, and Siberia. The migration of the Poles occurred both voluntarily, as was the case in the Kharkov province, or was forced, as a result of the repressions of the tsarist authorities and the exile of members of the Polish national movement, as in the North Caucasus and Siberia. It was not unusual that after the expiration of the term of exile, Poles voluntarily remained in the place they had been exiled to. Their occupation depended largely on the nature of the region and their social status. In the Kharkov province, representatives of the Polish intelligentsia carried out professional and cultural-educational activities, served as provincial officials, and were engaged in the improvement of urban infrastructure. In Siberia, Polish exiles became teachers as well as taking part in scientific expeditions that conducted research in the fields of geography, hydrography, geology, flora and fauna, meteorology, and ethnography of the region. To obtain better opportunities and adapt to the surrounding reality, the Poles needed, to one degree or another, knowledge of the Russian language. They acquired the language in various ways in addition to self-education: they were in constant contact with the local population and some even married those of the Orthodox faith. The participation of Poles in the social and cultural life of the regions under consideration contributed to a certain rapprochement and greater assimilation of the culture of both peoples.