Polish Origin Research Articles

The role of ethnic Poles in the educational and cultural life of the Northern Left Bank of Ukraine in the 19th – the first quarter of the 20th centuries

The article analyzes the activities of scientific, educational, and cultural figures of Polish origin in the Ukrainian lands of the Left Bank, their place in education, and determines their place in cultural life, and their contribution to the development of science and art. It was established that despite all attempts to assimilate the Polish population by the kings, representatives of the Polish intelligence in the north of Ukraine retained an interest in the national culture and language, Polish studies in general during the 19th and the first quarter of the 20th centuries. In the context of general trends, the activities of the most prominent figures of Polish origins, such as A. Andrzejowski, B. Verzykiwski, W. Wilkonski, W. Novodvorski, K. Shapolinski, and others, are outlined.

The Influence of Linguistic Ideologies on the Value of the Polish Language and Polish Identity Among Middle-Aged Ukrainian Citizens of Polish Origin

This paper provides a thorough analysis of the influence of linguistic ideologies on the prestige of the Polish language and Polish self-identification among middle-aged Ukrainian citizens of Polish origin who emigrated to Poland both before the outbreak of the Russian–Ukrainian war and after Russia's full-scale military invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The linguistic biographies of two families who have moved to Wroclaw for permanent residence are investigated in the article. Members of these families represent the middle-aged generation, as they were born in Ivano-Frankivsk in 1964–1987 (36–59 years old as of 1 April 2024), being children and grandchildren of the older and the oldest generations of Poles in Ivano-Frankivsk (formerly Stanislaviv) who have lived in the city for the last hundred years (1923–2023).

Wojna o biedny język [Listy Irit Amieldo Piotra Mitznera

This article is an editorial commentary on letters written by Piotr Mitzner (b. 1955), a literary historian,to the Israeli writer of Polish origin Irit Amiel (1931–2021). The presented collection, whichhas been selected from a larger whole, consists of letters and electronic correspondence from 2003–2006 and 2008–2013. They cover the initial stage of Amiel and Mitzner’s acquaintance, concerntheir books written at the time, and constitute a record and a commentary by the two intellectualson contemporary literary life. This paper is a prelude to a critical edition including all of Amiel’sshort stories from the volumes Osmaleni [Scorched] and Podwójny krajobraz [A Double Landscape],as well as archival texts written in Polish, which will be published by the University of Lodz PublishingHouse and edited by A. Jarzyna, M. Tomczok, and A. Piśkiewicz-Bornstein.

Recruitment of Ukrainian refugee-background nurses. Challenges for recruitment agencies during the refugee crisis in Poland – a qualitative descriptive study

Abstract Aim. The present paper aims to explore the challenges faced by employment agencies when recruiting Ukrainian refugee-background nurses (UKR-N) during the Ukrainian war refugee crisis in Poland, after the outbreak of war in February 2022. Material and methods. Data were collected through semi-structured, in-depth interviews conducted in Poland with two representatives of one recruitment agency between May and July 2023. There were two female participants, one of Polish origin and one of Ukrainian origin. The data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. The ATLAS.ti 8 software was used for data management. Results. Two themes were identifi ed: 1. Business-as-usual factors determining the eff ectiveness of international nurse recruitment and 2. Issues specifi c to the recruitment of Ukrainian refugee nurses. These two themes were further subdivided into six subthemes. Conclusions. Recruitment agencies have an obligation to adopt a comprehensive approach to the recruitment of this group of applicants. In addition, the inappropriate recruitment of refugee-background nurses by recruitment agencies (RAs), which may lead to abuse and exploitation, violates fundamental human rights, and should be universally condemned and strongly discouraged.

Lithuanian women in Ravensbrück concentration camp

In the Lithuanian historical memory, imprisonment in Nazi concentration camps (the best known to Lithuanians is Stutthof concentration camp) is entrenched as a largely male experience. This led to the fact that not only the experience of women prisoners has faded, but also the memory of other concentration camps. The most important of these, in researching women’s experiences in Nazi captivity, is Ravensbrück concentration camp. The aim of this paper is to analyse the information available in the memorial’s internal database and online archives about Lithuanian women in Ravensbrück, not only on the basis of statistical data but also by presenting at least partially reconstructed biographies. The results of the research showed that most women of Lithuanian and Polish origin (often this origin was difficult to distinguish) related to Lithuania, the majority of whom were imprisoned in Ravensbrück, were young workers, born between 1920 and 1926, voluntarily or forcibly deported to Germany for works, having committed a certain offence. Also, women of Jewish (9), East Slavic (5), German and (2) Latvian (1) origin, born or having Lithuanian citizenship were imprisoned in Ravensbrück. Thus, a large number of women were brought to Ravensbrück not directly from Lithuania or another place of residence, but already while being in Germany. The fate of only a few women whose records of death from alleged exhaustion or murder at the end of the war have survived is known. Many women survived not only Ravensbrück but also other concentration camps and prisons, where the remaining information (prisoner cards) and post-war documents of German authorities about foreigners who came to Germany during the war have already helped to reconstruct the biographies of some women and can be used in the future while conducting research on prisoners from Lithuania and in other concentration camps.

Education and Career Advancement Opportunities in Polish and English Nursing-A Comparative Study of Intensive Care Unit Nurses.

The aim of this study was to comparatively investigate education, job, and professional development satisfaction among intensive care unit nurses in Poland and England. A total of 258 ICU nurses from both countries were interviewed (72 Polish nurses working in Poland and 186 of various national backgrounds in England, including 50 of Polish origin). We used an 11-item structured survey followed by an open-ended qualitative interview retrospectively coded for statistical analysis. Regardless of national origin, nurses in England report significantly higher education satisfaction, attributed to better theoretical knowledge gain but not to other dimensions (such as practical knowledge or personal satisfaction). They also express greater satisfaction with job conditions regarding professional development, a state-of-the-art work environment, teamwork, and finance. The UK system is also considered significantly superior in promotion opportunities and participation in post-graduation training. In conclusion, systemic factors play a crucial role in career satisfaction and advancement in nursing, with the British band system having a clear advantage over the Polish one.

An Outline of the History of Poles in Kishinev (1863-1918): Contribution to the Discussion

The main goal of this article is to present the most important events in the social life of the Polish population who lived in Kishinev in the years 1863-1918 (this place was then part of the Russian Empire, which was reflected in the name of the city). The text presents the organizational development of Poles from Kishinev, who, having limited financial resources, set themselves the task of helping the poor and tried to develop education in Polish language. The article also presents the profiles of selected artists of Polish origin (Eugenia Maleszewska and Władimir Okuszko) who undoubtedly contributed to the development of culture in Kishinev. When preparing this text, the author also read the press from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, which allowed him to select useful, and sometimes perhaps previously unknown, information and expand on some issues.

Just 'a Strange Polish Muslim'?

By concentrating on the case study of Seyfeddin Thadée Gasztowtt (1881–1936)—a peripatetic activist, journalist and convert to Islam of Polish origin, who tied the issue of Poland’s independence to the Ottoman Empire and the Muslim world in the wake of the 1905 Japanese victory over Russia, this paper discusses opportunities of biography for global intellectual history. Focus on mobile individuals who operated in transcultural settings can help us to understand how major turning points in international history become global moments as these moments gain global significance only by virtue of activists seizing them and employing them in the service of their respective causes. A biographical approach gains us insights into how individuals were shaped by these watershed moments and at the same time were productive in them. A microscale analysis offered by biography can elucidate the processes of cross-cultural intellectual transfer and transregional entanglement in all their complexity.

Evaluation of Salivary Biomarkers and Spirometry for Diagnosing COPD in Non-Smokers and Smokers of Polish Origin.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a prevalent respiratory condition with global implications. Accurate and timely diagnosis is critical; however, traditional diagnostic methods (based on spirometry) show limitations, prompting the search for predictive biomarkers and modern diagnostic techniques. This study explored the validation of COPD-related biomarkers (C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, neutrophil elastase, and alpha-1 antitrypsin) in saliva. A diverse cohort, including healthy non-smokers, healthy smokers, and COPD patients of Polish origin, underwent spirometry and marker analysis. The data correlated with clinical factors, revealing noteworthy relations. Firstly, salivary biomarker levels were compared with serum concentrations, demonstrating notable positive or negative correlations, depending on the factor. Further analysis within healthy individuals revealed associations between biomarker levels, spirometry, and clinical characteristics such as age, sex, and BMI. Next, COPD patients exhibited an enhanced concentration of biomarkers compared to healthy groups. Finally, the study introduced a breathing assessment survey, unveiling significant associations between self-perceived breathing and spirometric and tested parameters. Outcomes emphasized the relevance of subjective experiences in COPD research. In conclusion, this research underscored the potential of salivary biomarkers as diagnostic tools for COPD, offering a non-invasive and accessible alternative to traditional methods. The findings paved the way for improved modern diagnostic approaches.

Understanding the inclusion and participation of adults from Black African Diaspora Communities (BAFDC) in health and care research in the UK: a realist review protocol

IntroductionPeople from Black African Diaspora Communities (BAFDC) experience poorer health outcomes, have many long-term conditions and are persistently under-represented in health and care research. There is limited focus on programmes,...

The German Collection: Emotions and Narratives

The article presents the history of origin, as well as the structure and content of the German collection belongs to the Dnipro Historical Museum. The information potential of the collection is proven in the context of museum exhibitions and while using it as a source for theoretical historical research. The collection of the Dnipro National Historical Museum includes about 600 items of German origin or related to Germany. Due to the peculiarities of the formation of the German state and changes in its borders, a lot of Czech, Austrian, Polish and Ukrainian origin objects from the museum catalogs are also identified as German. A large part of the collection tells about the life and culture of the German colonists who settled in the South of Ukraine in the second half of the 18th century. For a long time, their faith, lifestyle, and farming methods kept their unique features and were very different from their surroundings. Therefore, the study of the history of colonists in our region has not lost its relevance for more than 30 years. University historians made the main contribution to the research, but museum workers also tried to record historical information and preserve the object component of the culture of the German colonists. For this, in 1990, an ethnographic expedition was conducted to the village of Dniprovs’ke (the former colony of Yamburg). Then the collection of the museum was replenished with a unique complex of sources – memories, photographs, household items of local production or use. Another separate sub-complex is comprised of the things related to the history of the Second World War. Most of the items from the "German collection" are, for the most part, similar household items used by local residents (dishes, decorative things, cameras, musical instruments, etc.). The time of their use and arrival at the museum varies from the 18th to the 21st centuries. Museum objects (books, furniture, porcelain etc.), the circumstances of their using and entering to the museum collection demonstrate potential for exploring and presenting the history of everyday life, social and political life of the region, the history of local and international relations.

УКРАЇНСЬКА ІНТЕЛЕКТУАЛЬНА ЕЛІТА ПОЛЬСЬКОГО ПОХОДЖЕННЯ В НАЦІОНАЛЬНО-ВИЗВОЛЬНОМУ РУСІ ДРУГОЇ ПОЛОВИНИ ХІХ – ПОЧ. ХХ СТ.

The article highlights the socio-political advantages of educating the intellectual elite of the Ukrainian national liberation movement, which had a Polish civilisational upbringing before becoming Ukrainian figures. The author emphasises the idea that belonging to the European circle of peoples, such as the Poles, allowed Ukrainians of Polish origin to form the idea of Ukraine’s political separateness both among people of similar origin and for ethnic Ukrainians. The latter were under the ideological influence of Russian left and right political thought and rather became political Russians, accepting the postulates of their national idea with the postulate of the «single Russian people». Ukrainians of Polish origin, on the other hand, advocated the construction of a linguistic and cultural border between Ukraine and Russia and Poland; thought in terms of a future independent Ukrainian state; they formed an opinion about a Ukrainian political nation, which, being formed on a Ukrainian ethnic basis, should include other ethnic groups living on Ukrainian land. The author writes about two generations of Ukrainian figures of Polish cultural origin in Dnieper Ukraine: 1) the Hromadovites of the 1860s – 1880s of the second Ukrainophile stage of the liberation movement; 2) the figures of the third, political stage – the 1890s – early 20th century. He emphasises the importance of the work of Volodymyr Antonovych (1834–1908), a professor at St. Volodymyr University and an ideologist of the Ukrainian movement of the Ukrainophile era. He writes about the figures of Chłopomania («peasant-mania») of the early 1860s, who were united by Antonovych: Tadei Rylski, Kostiantyn Mykhalchuk, Borys Poznanski, and Osyp Yurkiewych. In the third stage, Polish Ukrainians of the social democratic and conservative trends stood out. They were represented by the leaders of the third stage, Levko Yurkevych and Viacheslav Lypynskyi. And again, it was Ukrainians of Polish culture who found themselves in the position of ideologues of the Ukrainian movement. Together with L. Yurkevych, the Ukrainian left-wing socialist movement was represented by M. Melenevsky, O. Skoropys-Yoltukhovsky, and B. Yaroshevsky. Instead, V. Lypynskyi created a right-wing conservative Ukrainian movement by organising the movement of Ukrainian Roman Catholics, which was joined by F. Volska, J. Voloshynovskyi, L. Sidletskyi (Sava Krylach), A. Montresor, A. Rokytskyi, and others.

Intersectional Discrimination in the Transition to Vocational Education and Training

Abstract: Racial background and gender are considered relevant social categories in research on transitions to vocational education and training (VET). Given the contradictory empirical results and opposing theoretical expectations regarding their interaction, this study deals with perceived racial discrimination and investigates (1) differences between groups of origin, (2) gender differences in racial discrimination, and (3) gender differences in racial discrimination in various ethnic origin groups. Logistic regression models and marginal effects were calculated using data from the National Educational Panel Study’s (NEPS) Starting Cohort 4 ( N = 1,421). The results show that adolescents with Turkish immigrant backgrounds perceive more personal discrimination in the search for an apprenticeship than those of Polish, ex-Yugoslav, and ex-Soviet origin. Interaction analyses show that individuals’ experiences of discrimination may vary based on gender, with women being the disadvantaged group. The article discusses the suitability of the selected quantitative approach for intersectional inquiries compared to other possible study designs for intersectional research.

Между дегерманизацией и славянизацией: концепции интеграции Возвращенных польских земель после Второй мировой войны

The article examines the integration concepts of “recovered territories” (former German lands) as part of the post-war Poland, proposed by various political forces represented in the Polish Resistance Movement during World War II, in order to determine their influence on the subsequent development of the state, whose borders in 1945 changed radically. This study is based on acts and memoranda of the Polish government in exile, documents of new authorities created by the Communists and their allies in the liberated territory, programs of political and public organizations, press materials, and memoirs. The author pays special attention to the terms “de-Germanisation” and “Slavianisation”, which the program settings of the government in exile in London and its supporters, as well as the plans of the Polish communists, contain. The article traces the gradual transition to a common understanding of the mechanism of future integration processes as “re-Polonisation”. First of all, it was a radical change of population in the newly annexed territories and at the same time the forced deportation of German citizens to Germany and the settlement of the vacated spaces by Poles from the central voivodships of the country and repatriates from the USSR. On the other hand, the local Poles (former German citizens) were not deported. According to the Polish authorities, this autochthonous Polish population was subjected to forced Germanisation for many centuries, they needed to return their native language and Polish appearance in full. As a result, various groups of inhabitants of Polish origin with diverse cultural backgrounds had to transform into a homogeneous ethnocultural community, which was to become part of a single Polish nation. Re-Polonisation also implied a whole range of measures aimed at changing the cultural landscape and national symbols, restoring the former Slavic toponyms, and identifying and consolidating historical and cultural evidence of the Polish past of the new territories in the public consciousness. However, the analysis of the integration concepts of the opposing Polish political movements shows serious differences in the understanding of the term “re-Polonisation”, in the development and application of specific mechanisms for its implementation in the new Polish territories. Polish emigrant circles in London gave priority to the national-cultural aspects of integration, while the left-wing forces finally came to the conclusion that socialist-type transformations would become a universal means of integration for all groups of Polish society. With the victory of the Communists, the latter approach prevailed, which led to the underestimation of many factors and errors in the sphere of the national-cultural policy in the newly annexed lands in the first post-war years.

Польские императивные конструкции в русском деловом языке Петровской эпохи

The article studies the imperative models of Polish origin in documentary texts of the Petrine era, namely: models with the meaning of obligation imet’, povinen, nadlezhat’ (+ infinitive), of permission pozvolit’, dozvolit’, dopuskat’/dopushchat’, volen, vol’no (+ infinitive), of prohibition ne povinen, ne imet’, ne nadlezhat’, ne vol’no, ne dopuskat’, ne pozvolit’ (+ infinitive). Their inclusion in Russian business speech became part of a more general process of renewal and modernization under Peter I’s administrative reforms, as well as a way to make business writing, which in the Petrine era began to acquire a higher cultural status, more bookish. There were a number of linguistic factors that prompted the creators of documents to include Polish imperative models in the Russian business language. These include the emergence of new business genres, such as charters and instructions, for which there were no ready-made speech forms. These genres regulated not only the duties and prohibitions of subordinates, but also the permitted actions, which required corresponding imperative models. Unlike the prePetrine business writing, where the leading type of imperativeness was the infinitive sentence, new imperative models relied mainly on a two-part sentence and thus in the documents they signaled the beginning of a change in syntactic structures used to express prescription, permission, and prohibition. The Polish imperative models could be borrowed directly from Polish, but more often they came through Western Russian speech. The article traces the further history of borrowed imperative models, some of which can be met in the modern Russian business speech.

Княгиня Гертруда и русское летописание XI в.

At the year 6538 (AD 1030), the entry on an uprising occuring in Poland after the death of King Boleslav the Brave reads in many Rus chronicles. This entry is inaccurately dated and shortens the events of about fifteen years to as little as two phrases of text. However, even such a reference of Old Rus bookmen to details of the history of a neighbouring country seems to be a significant phenomenon, and makes us wonder how the information about the events in Poland could reach the historiographers based in the Kievan Cave Monastery. From the lexicological point of view the entry in question is close to the entry on pagan up-rising on the upper Volga, found at the year 6579 (AD 1071), and to fragments of entries for 6523 (AD 1015) and 6532 (AD 1024), which show signs of interpolation. Accordingly, the entry on the Polish uprising could not be based on the information of contemporaries. A. A. Shakhmatov suggested that the source of the chronicle was the now lost life of St Anthony of Pechersk, but this hypothesis raises a number of questions. Also controversial is the argument of V. D. Korolyuk, who assumed that the chroniclers relied either on a ‘secu-lar narrative’ about the life of Princess Predslava Vladimirovna, or on some written source of Polish origin. Most likely, chroniclers of the last quarter of 11th century had got their knowledge from conversations with the widow of Kievan Prince Izyaslav Vladimirovich (1054-1078, with interruptions), Princess Gertrude, originated from the Piast dynasty of Poland. This hypothesis allows us to expand our ideas about the circle of communication of the early Rus chroniclers and possible sources of their awareness.

Испанская герилья 1808–1814 гг. по воспоминаниям Ф. В. Булгарина

The War for Independence of Spain in 1808–1814 found a wide response in Russian society, which sympathetically followed the desperate resistance of the Iberian peoples and enthusiastically perceived the loud defeats of the Napoleonic army. Interest in the events of the war on the other side of Europe gave rise to a surge of numerous publications in the Russian press in the first half of the 19th century, among which were the memoirs of the then-novice journalist of Polish origin Faddei Bulgarin. They are unique in that the author was one of the few representatives of Russian society who was not only a direct eyewitness, but also a participant in the events of the Pyrenean War as military of Napoleon's army. “Memories of Spain” became a breakthrough work for the young writer: it was with this work that he began the conquest of the Russian literary Olympus. Excerpts of the work have been published in periodicals since 1821, and it was published in its entirety in 1823. The moment was chosen well – the attitude towards the Poles who served in the Napoleonic army was condescending at the end of the reign of Alexander I, the public reflection on the events of the Patriotic War of 1812 and the Foreign campaign of 1813 was active, interest in the personality and affairs of the recently deceased Napoleon was great. The work answered several author’s tasks at once: it was written simultaneously in a legitimist and liberal spirit, the author’s participation in the struggle against Spanish independence was fairly obscured by a fictional style with almost complete absence of a description of personal experience, the narrative was diluted with various stories in the spirit of a military anecdote, the reader’s request was satisfied with romanticism impregnating the text. Ultimately, with later reprints of the text, Bulgarin will rename it “The Picture of the Spanish War in the time of Napoleon”, as if renouncing the memoir character of the work. Despite all the above, the text contains very valuable and vivid sketches about the realities of the Spanish Guerilla, which may be of considerable interest for studies of the Iberian War.

The Polish Language in Georgia (U.S.)

Despite the number of people of Polish origin (approx. 9 million) and the long history of this diaspora in the U.S., there have been no in-depth comprehensive sociolinguistic studies devoted to their language situation and bilingualism. The states of the Southeast (including Georgia) are particularly under-researched. The article presents the results of the Polish part of sociolinguistic research on the situation of Slavic languages in Georgia, carried out in the summer of 2022. Since Georgia is rarely a destination for direct migration from Poland, its Polish community differs linguistically and socially from the more typically “Polish” states of the Northeast and Midwest. Based on questionnaire research and interviews, the spheres of use of Polish and English, the linguistic competence of Poles in both languages, and the shape and main motives driving family language policy are discussed.

ODESA HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AND THE JANUARY UPRISING OF 1863-1864: MATERIALS OF ONE CRIMINAL CASE

The article proposes for the first time the publication of the documents of one criminal case, which reveal the impact of the events of the January Uprising of 1863–1864 on the students of the private men's gymnasium in Odessa. It was found out that the students of the gymnasium discussed and worried about the events of the uprising in Poland and even dreamed of joining the Polish units. Youthful dreams and other life events led to the suicide of one of the students. The published documents help reveal the everyday life of high school students and the history of a particular educational institution. A circle of Polish families cheering on their children's actions is also shown. The attitude of the Russian administration towards students of Polish origin was noted.

Kowalewski Apropos the Chinese Book “Ming Xin Bao Jian”: Following up a Diary Entry

This article examines the notes of the prominent Russian mongolist of Polish origin Józef Kowalewski (1801–1878) in his “Diary of studies for 1832”, the manuscript of which is kept in the Department of Manuscripts of the Vilnius University Library. This diary entry has been previously published several times in the form of a facsimile. It is an excerpt in English from the annotation on the Chinese book Ming xin bao jian (明心寶鑑, Precious Mirror for the Enlightenment of the Mind) from the Protestant missionary magazine published in Malacca. The article clarifies and significantly supplements the previously published commentary on this entry, defines The Indo-Chinese Gleaner magazine as the source of the English annotation and William Milne (1785–1822) as its author. It is assumed that J. Kowalewski’s acquaintance with W. Milne’s note had determined later choice of Ming xin bao jian as a Chinese language teaching material at The Imperial Kazan University. The very fact of choosing this book by a Protestant missionary to be presented as an important manual on the Chinese language and the traditional worldview of the Chinese is discussed. The conclusion is made that, formally remaining in opposition to the earlier Catholic missionary work, Protestant preachers in assessing Ming xin bao jian were in consent with their predecessors.