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Belarus-Poland Borderland and the European UnionStudy of the problems in context of the European Union enlargement September 4-10, 2005 with minor updates in 2006The study consists of two parts, one in this issue dealing with the Bialystok region in Poland, the other, in the next issue, with the Hrodna region in Belarus. Participants: Malkhaz Chemia (Georgia, Institute for Minorities and Refugees Problems), Andrei Kazakevich (Belarus, political scientist, editor-in-chief of Political Sphere magazine), Palina Stsepanenka (coordinator of the West sub-network of the Working Group, journalist, Belarus). The study was supported technically by the Hrodna branch of Lew Sapeha Foundation (Hrodna, Belarus), and the Educational Center "Poland-Belarus" (Bialystok, Poland). Problems: 1. Intergovernmental conflict between Poland and Belarus connected with change of leadership of the Union of Poles of Belarus. Aggravation of relations between Polish minority organizations and Belarusian authorities. 2. Trial of publishers of the Belarusian weekly Niva in Poland. 3. Ethnical diversity of the population divided by the state border. Difficult history of mutual relations, violation of the rights of minorities by both sides in the past and prospects of good-neighborly relations in the future. 4. Enlargement of the European Union + new line of demarcation. To what extent will it divide the local population, will assimilation increase, etc. How will the new borders impact the ethnical and political situation? Objectives: 1. to collect information about history of inter-ethnic relations and their present situation, 2. to collect general information about ethnical and political situation: - what is the attitude of the minorities to the political situation and the state authorities - Is there pressure by the authorities on Polish minority organizations in Belarus? Define the type of possible pressure - Is there pressure by the authorities on Belarusian minority organizations in Poland? Define the type of possible pressure - Are there registered facts of violation of the rights of national minorities by the authorities? - Is there a practice of xenophobia and distrust in everyday life? - To define the level of inter-denominational (Catholic - Orthodox) relations in Poland. 3. The "new border" and development of national communities: consequences and prospects. Attitude of the population to the EU enlargement and the new border -- hopes and fears. 4. Prospects of preserving the national culture and identity on both sides of the border. Brief Historical Outline In the Early Middle Ages the territory of the future Belarus-Poland borderland was dominated by Orthodox Eastern Slavs. In the 14th century the region becomes part of the Great Duchy of Lithuania (Editor's note: a predominantly Slavic state whose official language was Old Belarusian). The western part of the region forms historical Podlachia, and becomes subject to vigorous Polish colonization. During the following centuries a part of the region, including the cities of Bielsk,and Biely Stok becomes a part of the Kingdom of Poland.1 In the 16-18th cc. a greater part of the political elite and gentry adopts Catholicism and identifies itself with the Polish culture. After the Union of Orthodox and Catholic Churches in 1596, an absolute majority of the Orthodox become members of the Uniate Church. As a result of the Third Partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1795, the bigger part of the region is incorporated into the Russian Empire. 2 In 1839 the Russian government abolishes the Church Union; the majority of the Uniates gradually revert to Orthodoxy, the rest become Roman Catholics. With the rise of the Polish national movement, Catholicism becomes associated with the Polish culture, while Orthodoxy becomes associated with the Russian culture. Interestingly, however, the leaders of the Belarusian national movement of the 19th century could be found in both denominations. ( Editor's note: Today, there are very few Catholics in the region who still identify themselves as Belarusians.) In 1921 the Soviet government and Poland conclude the Riga Peace Treaty. According to this treaty, all of western Belarus becomes part of the Polish state. In the period of 1921-1939 the predominantly non-Polish local population was subject to polonization, on one hand, and to political and cultural discrimination, on the other. After the German-Soviet pact about partition of the Polish state, and during the first months of World War II, both Bialystok and Hrodna regions became part of the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic. Under German occupation of 1941-1944 the region became part of the East Prussia, forming the Bialystok district. In 1945 the Soviet-Polish treaty gives the whole Bialystok region to Poland and sets a new border which exists now. Bialystok region (Bialystok voivodship, Poland) There are about 150-200,000 Orthodox Christians in the region, of which 50,000 have identified themselves as Belarusians, according to the 2002 census. The rest of the Orthodox identified themselves as Poles (Editor's note: two or three generations ago, such a population segment as Orthodox Poles was practically non-existent. It came about as the result of many decades of polonization. Under Polish rule, many Belarusians were assimilated, with a substantial number nevertheless retaining their Orthodox faith.) This phenomenon is most visible in the bigger cities: for instance, in Bialystok only 18-20% of the Orthodox Christians consider themselves Belarusian.Throughout the whole region, about 1/3 of the Orthodox Christians identified themselves as Belarusians. Public opinion polls and electoral behavior give grounds to the claim that about 50-100,000 Orthodox Christians have a transitional or mixed (Belarusian--Polish) identity. At present Orthodox Christians reside mainly in the eastern part of the region, close to the Belarusian border. Bielsk and Hajnowka towns are the main centers of Belarusian culture. The town of Hajnowka with about 22,500 residents, and the adjacent districts are the area of compact residence of the Belarusian and Orthodox minority. Hajnowka is one of the centers of Belarusian culture in Poland; Belarusian organizations are represented in the local government bodies, there is a Belarusian high school and a museum of Belarusian culture has been established. The Orthodox make up 60% of the town+s population, with 26% identifuing themselves as Belarusians. They reside compactly in the eastern part of the Hajnowka district, where in a number of communities they make up an absolute majority. In Czyzy and Dubiczy-Cerkowne over 80% of the residents are Belarusians. The city of Bialystok is the organizational center of the Belarusian movement; majority of Belarusian organizations have their centers there. The Bialystok region is distinguished overall by stable religious and national traditions and certain conservatism. At the same time, the region is one of the poorest in the country. Belarusian minority Despite its relatively small numbers (50 thousand with national and additional 50-100 thousand with weakened and mixed identity), the Belarusian minority is quite developed in both the cultural and political spheres. While many Belarusians supported the regime, others formed an underground anti-communist opposition, the only national minority in in 1980?s Poland to do so. At present, Belarusians actively participate in elections and other political campaigns; there is a Belarusian Election Committee. There are literary, historical, folklore societies; there are irregular magazines and monographs published in the Belarusian language. The community also publishes the weekly Niva in Belarusian, airs radio and television programs, etc. 3 Bialystok and Warsaw Universities have Belarusian chairs. The Belarusian minority in the Bialystok region has a special significance for the overall Belarusian culture; it is actively included in the current cultural and social processes in Belarus. Linguistic situation Belarusians mainly use the local dialects of the Belarusian language in their everyday communication. As a rule, Belarusian language is used for communication inside the national community. The language for official communication and communication with visitors is Polish. Belarusian language is used by Belarusian organizations in their electoral campaigns. Polish language dominates in the official sphere. Religious institutions of the region rarely use the Belarusian language. The Catholic Church uses only Polish; Orthodox Church uses Church Slavonic or Russian, and seldom, the Belarusian language. At present, the hierarchs of the Polish Orthodox Church are promoting gradual introduction of Polish as the primary language. The Polish Orthodox Church offers practically no support to the Belarusian movement. Ethno-cultural conceptions and stereotypes As a rule, Poles have a stereotype of Belarusians as of a badly-organized, undefined community without a cultural tradition. In other words, in general, Belarusians are considered to be "lesser" people, although Belarusians otherwise do not stand out in any crowd. Such negative characterizations of the Orthodox and Belarusian minority are reinforced by well established myths regarding people+s migration and the their roots. They include one about the settlement of the Orthodox population in the region organized by the authorities of the Russian Empire, and another, about russification of ethnic Poles at that time. Besides that, Orthodox Christians and Belarusians were identified with the "Communists", "Soviets", "Russians", etc. Some of these stereotypes have prevailed to this day.4 The word "katsaps", common for all the Orthodox and Eastern Slavs, is quite often used as a negative nickname for Belarusians. At the same time, the earlier state planned assimilation, state sponsored influx of Polish colonists, discrimination and repression against Belarusian organizations and national activists still linger in the minds of local Belarusians. In the period after the World War II there were several groups active in the region whose goal was to violently oust Belarusians from the area.. Later, in the eighties, threats against Orthodox Christians were not uncommon, as were attempts to burn Orthodox churches. Remembrances of the past have left an impact on the present perception of nationality and religious relations. Education System Poland's legislation entitles national minorities to receive education in their mother tongue. The system of national education for Belarusians in Poland consists of a network of about 40 schools that teach the following courses in Belarusian: Belarusian language, Basics of the Belarusian Culture, Belarusian Literature and History. All other subjects are taught in Polish. Belarusian Minority and Political Power Belarusians and Orthodox Christians of the Bialystok region tend to vote of left-wing political parties. It is mainly in response the high degree of clericalism prevalent in the right-wing part of the political spectrum of the region. 5 Belarusians are represented in the local self-governments at the level of gmina, the smallest administrative unit; there are Belarusian representatives in municipal councils and executive bodies. Belarusian political movement is represented by the Belarusian Election Committee, which also has some representatives in governmental structures. In general, there is a certain tension between the religious and national groups in the region. The level of tension does not exclude conflicts and discrimination on the everyday and official levels. Quite a few of the political organizations of the region consider Belarusian and Orthodox elements alien and do not integrate them in the local cultural and social context. The level of anti-Orthodox sentiments in the region is significantly higher than in Poland in general. However, at present, the confrontation does not take open forms. Real political confrontation is observed only in the areas were the size of Belarusian (Orthodox) and Polish populations is approximately equal. Primarily, it applies to manpower policy in the local governmental structures and in the distribution of financial resources. It is also reflected in the activity of radical political groups. ( Editor's note: In the recent years two major issues, namely, the conflict over the Union of Poles in Belarus and the Belarusian-language weekly's Niva trial in Poland, contributed to the tensions in the region. They will be presented as condensed versions of the original articles which were a part of the study, in the next issue of Footnotes: 1. In the 14th -16th cc. the Polish Kingdom and the Great Duchy of Lithuania conclude a number of treaties, which later lead to creation of a confederative state -- the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (Rzeczpospolita, or Res Publica). 2 In the early 19th century the whole region became part of the Russian Empire. 3 Polish communist authorities permited the creation of the Belarusian Civic and Cultural Society and the Niva newspaper in the 1950's. 4. It should be pointed out that because of the discrimination and quite poor economic situation, the region had a very strong left-wing movement in the period between the wars. As a result, representatives of the Belarusian and Orthodox minority took quite an active part in consolidation of power of the Polish People's Republic after the World War II. 5 In the eighties the Orthodox Christians of the Bialystok region did not really participate in the Solidarity movement. Here Solidarity had a clearly defined Catholic nature. There were wide-spread rumors about possible repression against all non-Catholics if Solidarity were to come to power. In their turn, region's Catholics were quite active. Father Jerzy Popieluszko, the spiritual leader of Solidarity and defender of human rights, comes from this region. This article appeared in Belarusian Review, Vol. 18, No.4 --------------------------------------------- Copyright 2006 Belarusian Review All rights reserved. belarusianreview@hotmail.com
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