The Attitude of the Second Republic of Poland towards the Poles in Ukrainian SSR during the Holodomor

Abstract

The research goal is to publicize and analyze the level of knowledge in the Second Polish Republic about the situation of Poles in Soviet Ukraine during the Holodomor.

The research methodology. Critical analysis of Polish archival sources.

Scientific novelty. In the present article, for the first time, the answer is given about what information was available in interwar Poland about Poles in Ukrainian SSR during the Holodomor.

Conclusions. The author discusses primarily the question of why the Polish authorities and public opinion were generally not interested in the fate of the starving Poles in Soviet Ukraine in 1932—1933. There is also depicted the state of knowledge of Polish consular posts in Ukrainian SSR as well as the embassy in Moscow about the tragedy of Poles living in the Soviet Union, including Ukraine. The issue of whether the tragedy of the starving Poles was raised in Polish-Soviet bilateral relations was also highlighted.