Kwestia tożsamości narodowej ukraińskojęzycznej ludności północnego Podlasia
Question of National Identity of the Ukrainian-Speaking Population of Northern Podlachia

Summary/Abstract: Northern Podlachia is a part of Poland’s eastern territories once colonized by neighbouring peoples. The paper focuses on the territory situated in the basin area of the Bug River and the Narew River, where the area of Northern-Ukrainian local dialects has been formed as a result of the settlement of Ruthenians (Ukrainians) from Volhynia and Southern Podlachia. In the 19th century, the population of Ukrainian-speaking Orthodox inhabitants of Northern Podlachia was estimated at about 75,000. According to two inter-war population censuses, the vast majority of this population was recognized as Belarusians. This arbitrary classification for the purpose of the censuses had an enormous impact on national identity processes among the Orthodox inhabitants of Northern Podlachia. In the eighties of the 20th century, the Ukrainian national movement was revived in this territory, mostly among the youth. This led to a severe competition for the Orthodox “souls” between Belarusian and Ukrainian activists. The two recent population censuses have shown that only a small number of inhabitants of Northern Podlachia declare their Ukrainian national identity. The censuses have also proven the acceleration of polonization processes in this territory.

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