There are currently more than 22,000 ethnic

Poles Pole or poles may refer to: People *Poles (people), another term for Polish people, from the country of Poland * Pole (surname), including a list of people with the name * Pole (musician) (Stefan Betke, born 1967), German electronic music artist ...

living in the

Russian Federation Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

. This includes native Poles as well as those forcibly deported during and after

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. When including all of the countries of the

former Soviet Union The post-Soviet states, also referred to as the former Soviet Union or the former Soviet republics, are the independent sovereign states that emerged/re-emerged from the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. Prior to their independence, they ...

, the total number of Poles is estimated at up to 3 million.

History

1652, Smolensk Boyars from Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth

Zainsk, Kazan governate, was originally a fort occupied by Chelny strelsty, archers and servicemen, and 81 Polish Cossask prisoners from Smolensk area after the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth.

1654, Polotsk Gentry from Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth

In 1654 the Poles were taken from Polotsk, 141 people from the Polish small gentry were evacuated to Tiinsk together with the Cossacks, who, before that, "universal servants of Polish kings carried serfdom". Another party of the Polish gentry was settled in the settlement of Old Kuvak �тарой Кувакеand Old Pismyanka �тарой Письмянкеof the future Bugulma district �угульминского уезда Kazan governate. They became part of the Simbirsk Line. Polish gentry until 1830 were considered available soldiers for conscription or draft.

1768 – The Bar Confederation and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth

Many Poles were exiled to Siberia, starting with the 18th-century opponents of the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

's increasing influence in the

Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, also referred to as Poland–Lithuania or the First Polish Republic (), was a federation, federative real union between the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania ...

(most notably the members of the

Bar Confederation The Bar Confederation (; 1768–1772) was an association of Polish nobles (''szlachta'') formed at the fortress of Bar, Ukraine, Bar in Podolia (now Ukraine), in 1768 to defend the internal and external independence of the Polish–Lithuanian C ...

).Norman Davies, ''Europe: A History'', Oxford University Press, 1996,
Google Print, p.664
/ref>

Tsarist Russia until 1917

After the change in Russian

penal law Criminal law is the body of law that relates to crime. It proscribes conduct perceived as threatening, harmful, or otherwise endangering to the property, health, safety, and welfare of people inclusive of one's self. Most criminal law is esta ...

in 1847, exile and penal labor (''

katorga Katorga (, ; from medieval and modern ; and Ottoman Turkish: , ) was a system of penal labor in the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union (see Katorga labor in the Soviet Union). Prisoners were sent to remote penal colonies in vast uninhabited a ...

'') became common penalties to the participants of national uprisings within the Russian Empire. This led to increasing number of

being sent to Siberia for katorga, they were known as ''Sybiraks''. Some of them remained there, forming a Polish minority in Siberia. Most of them came from the participants and supporters of the 19th century

November Uprising The November Uprising (1830–31) (), also known as the Polish–Russian War 1830–31 or the Cadet Revolution, was an armed rebellion in Russian Partition, the heartland of Partitions of Poland, partitioned Poland against the Russian Empire. ...

and

January Uprising The January Uprising was an insurrection principally in Russia's Kingdom of Poland that was aimed at putting an end to Russian occupation of part of Poland and regaining independence. It began on 22 January 1863 and continued until the last i ...

, Jerzy Jan Lerski, Piotr Wróbel, Richard J. Kozicki, ''Historical Dictionary of Poland, 966-1945'', Greenwood Publishing Group, 1996,
Google Print, 538
/ref> the participants of the 1905–1907 unrest to the hundreds of thousands of people deported in the Soviet invasion of Poland in 1939. Originally, 148 Polish exiles were stationed in the Orenburg province, but by the beginning of June 1864, 278 people had been sent to the Orenburg governate to take up residence under the supervision of the police, and by mid-1865, 506 people. In addition, 831 people were identified for establishment on the state lands of the Orenburg and Chelyabinsk districts, of which 754 people were allocated to Ufa. There were about 20,000 Poles living in Siberia around the 1860s. An unsuccessful

uprising of Polish political exiles in Siberia The Baikal Insurrection ( or ''Powstanie nad Bajkałem'', ), also known as the Siberian Uprising, was a short-lived uprising of about 700 Polish political prisoners and exiles ('' Sybiracy'') in Siberia, Russian Empire, that started on 24 June 18 ...

broke out in 1866. In the late 19th century there was also a limited number of Polish voluntary settlers, attracted by the economic development of the region. Polish migrants and exiles, many of whom were forbidden to move away from the region even after finishing serving their sentence, formed a vibrant Polish minority there. Hundreds of Poles took part in the construction of the

Trans-Siberian Railway The Trans-Siberian Railway, historically known as the Great Siberian Route and often shortened to Transsib, is a large railway system that connects European Russia to the Russian Far East. Spanning a length of over , it is the longest railway ...

. Notable Polish scholars studied in Siberia, among them

Aleksander Czekanowski Aleksander Piotr Czekanowski, or Aleksandr Lavrentyevich Chekanovsky (, 24 February 1833 – 30 October 1876) was a Polish geologist and explorer of Siberia during his exile after participating in the January Uprising. He took part in and later le ...

Jan Czerski Jan Stanisław Franciszek Czerski, also known as Ivan Dementievich Chersky () or Yan Dominikovich Chersky (; – ), was a Polish, Belarusian, and Russian paleontologist, osteologist, geologist, geographer and explorer of Siberia. He was exi ...

Benedykt Dybowski Benedykt Tadeusz Dybowski (12 May 183331 January 1930) was a Polish naturalist and physician. Life Benedykt Dybowski was born in Adamaryni, within the Minsk Governorate of the Russian Empire to Polish nobility. He was the brother of naturalis ...

Wiktor Godlewski Wictor Godlewski (30 December 1831 – 17 November 1900) was a Polish nobleman, explorer, and naturalist. After spending time in Katorga, Siberian labour camps following his participation in the January Uprising, he began to study the natural histo ...

, Sergiusz Jastrzebski, Edward Piekarski,

Bronisław Piłsudski Bronisław Piotr Piłsudski (; 2 November 1866 – 17 May 1918) was a Polish ethnologist who researched the Ainu people after he was exiled by Tsar Alexander III of Russia to the Far East. Piłsudski considered himself Polish, Lithuanian ...

Wacław Sieroszewski Wacław Kajetan Sieroszewski (24 August 1858 – 20 April 1945) was a Polish writer, Polish Socialist Party activist, and soldier in the World War I-era Polish Legions (decorated with the Virtuti Militari). For activities subversive of th ...

, Mikołaj Witkowski and others.

In the Soviet Union

Millions of Poles lived within the

as the

Russian Revolution of 1917 The Russian Revolution was a period of Political revolution (Trotskyism), political and social revolution, social change in Russian Empire, Russia, starting in 1917. This period saw Russia Dissolution of the Russian Empire, abolish its mona ...

started followed by the

Russian Civil War The Russian Civil War () was a multi-party civil war in the former Russian Empire sparked by the 1917 overthrowing of the Russian Provisional Government in the October Revolution, as many factions vied to determine Russia's political future. I ...

. While some Poles associated with the communist movement, the majority of the Polish population saw cooperation with Bolshevik forces as betrayal and treachery of Polish national interests.J. M. Kupczak "Stosunek władz bolszewickich do polskiej ludności na Ukrainie (1921–1939)Wrocławskie Studia Wschodnie 1 (1997) Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Wrocławskiego , 1997 page 47–62" IPN Bulletin 11(34) 2003

Marian Lutosławski Marian Lutosławski (1871 – 5 September 1918) was a Polish mechanical engineer and inventor born during the foreign partitions of Poland. He studied at the Technical University in Riga, then also part of Russia, and obtained a diploma in electri ...

and his brother Józef, the father of the Polish composer

Witold Lutosławski Witold Roman Lutosławski (; 25 January 1913 – 7 February 1994) was a Polish composer and conductor. Among the major composers of 20th-century classical music, he is "generally regarded as the most significant Polish composer since Szymanow ...

, were murdered in Moscow in 1918 as "counter-revolutionaries".

Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz (; 24 February 188518 September 1939), commonly known as Witkacy, was a Polish writer, painter, philosopher, theorist, playwright, novelist, and photographer active before World War I and during the interwar period. ...

lived through the

Russian Revolution The Russian Revolution was a period of Political revolution (Trotskyism), political and social revolution, social change in Russian Empire, Russia, starting in 1917. This period saw Russia Dissolution of the Russian Empire, abolish its mona ...

St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city had a population of 5,601, ...

, which had a profound effect on his works, many of which displayed themes of the horrors of social revolution. Famous revolutionaries with Polish origins include

Konstantin Rokossovsky Konstantin Konstantinovich Rokossovsky ( 1896 – 3 August 1968) was a Soviet and Polish general who served as a top commander in the Red Army during World War II and achieved the ranks of Marshal of the Soviet Union and Marshal of Poland. He a ...

Julian Marchlewski Julian Baltazar Józef Marchlewski (17 May 1866 – 22 March 1925) was a Polish communist politician, revolutionary activist and publicist who served as chairman of the Provisional Polish Revolutionary Committee. He was also known under the aliase ...

Karol Świerczewski Karol Wacław Świerczewski (; callsign ''Walter''; 22 February 1897 – 28 March 1947) was a Polish and Soviet Red Army general and statesman. He was a Bolshevik Party member and served in the Soviet Red Army during the Russian Civil War an ...

and

Felix Dzerzhinsky Felix Edmundovich Dzerzhinsky (; ; – 20 July 1926), nicknamed Iron Felix (), was a Soviet revolutionary and politician of Polish origin. From 1917 until his death in 1926, he led the first two Soviet secret police organizations, the Cheka a ...

, founder of the

Cheka The All-Russian Extraordinary Commission ( rus, Всероссийская чрезвычайная комиссия, r=Vserossiyskaya chrezvychaynaya komissiya, p=fsʲɪrɐˈsʲijskəjə tɕrʲɪzvɨˈtɕæjnəjə kɐˈmʲisʲɪjə, links=yes), ...

secret police which would later turn into the

NKVD The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (, ), abbreviated as NKVD (; ), was the interior ministry and secret police of the Soviet Union from 1934 to 1946. The agency was formed to succeed the Joint State Political Directorate (OGPU) se ...

. However, according to their ideology they did not identify as Poles or with Poland, and members of the communist party viewed themselves as Soviet citizens without any national sentiments. The Soviet Union also organized Polish units in the

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...

and a Polish Communist government-in-exile.

In modern Russia

There were 73,000

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Polish people, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken * Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin ...

nationals living in

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

according to the

2002 Russian census The 2002 Russian census () was the first census of the Russian Federation since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, carried out on October 9 through October 16, 2002. It was carried out by the Russian Federal Service of State Statistics (Rossta ...

. This includes autochthonous Poles as well as those forcibly deported during and after

; the total number of Poles in what was the former

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

is estimated at up to 3 million. The number of Polish people in Russia decreased to 47,125 in 2010, and to 22,024 in 2021.

Gallery

Image:Russia-Sebezh-Church of Holy Trinity-1.jpg, Holy Trinity Church,

Sebezh Sebezh () is a town and the administrative center of Sebezhsky District in Pskov Oblast, Russia, located in a picturesque setting between Lakes Sebezhskoye and Orono south of Pskov, the administrative center of the oblast. Population: His ...

(1648) Image:Преображенский костел. Центральный вход.JPG, Transfiguration Church, Pyatigorsk (1844) Image:Kursk Catholic Church.jpg, Church of Our Lady of the Assumption, Kursk (1896) Image:Здание Костела.JPG, Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Tambov (1903) Image:Храм Пресвятого Сердца Иисуса в Самаре.JPG, Sacred Heart Church, Samara (1906) Image:Римско-католический приход.jpg, Our Lady of the Assumption Church, Novocherkassk (1906) File:Catholic church Tomsk.jpg, Church of the Intercession of the Virgin Mary, Tomsk (1833) File:Kościół Wniebowzięcia Najświętszej Maryi Panny w Irkucku.JPG, Church of Our Lady of the Assumption, Irkutsk (1884) File:Польский костел 1.jpg, Holy Trinity Church, Tobolsk (1909) File:Костел римско-католический.jpg, Transfiguration Church, Krasnoyarsk (1910) File:Kościół pw św Stanisława w Wierszynie.jpg, St. Stanislaus Church, Vershina File:Королевский бастион - Вид с другого берега.JPG, Bastion of King

Sigismund III Vasa Sigismund III Vasa (, ; 20 June 1566 – 30 April 1632 N.S.) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1587 to 1632 and, as Sigismund, King of Sweden from 1592 to 1599. He was the first Polish sovereign from the House of Vasa. Re ...

Smolensk Smolensk is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River, west-southwest of Moscow. First mentioned in 863, it is one of the oldest cities in Russia. It has been a regional capital for most of ...

File:Smolensk Catholic church. View from the Polish cemetery 3.JPG, Polish Catholic cemetery in Smolensk File:Russia 3850 (4183428042).jpg,

Katyn war cemetery Katyn war cemetery (, ) is a Polish military cemetery located in Katyn, a small village 22 kilometres away from Smolensk, Russia, on the road to Vitebsk. It contains the remnants of 4,412 Polish officers of the Kozelsk prisoner of war cam ...

File:Polski Cmentarz Wojenny w Miednoje, epitafia.jpg, Polish War Cemetery in Mednoye File:Moscow, Klimashkina 5.JPG,

Embassy of Poland in Moscow The Embassy of Poland in Moscow is the diplomatic mission of the Republic of Poland to the Russian Federation. The chancery is located at Klimashkina Street 4, Moscow. The Polish embassy occupies a purpose-built building of modernist design, inc ...

File:Smolensk, Herzen Street, 1 - 01.jpg, Polish Consulate in

Notable people of Polish-Russian descent

Aleksandr Verzhbilovich Aleksandr Valerianovich Verzhbilovich (; ) was a Russian classical cellist of Polish descent. His name also appears as Verzhbilovic, Verzhibilovic, Vierzbilovich, Wierzbillowicz, Wierzbiłłowicz, Wierzbilovich, Wierzbilovicz, and Wierzbilowicz. ...

, classical cellist * Wladyslaw Grzegorz Branicki, senator and general *

Adam Jerzy Czartoryski Adam Jerzy Czartoryski (14 January 1770 – 15 July 1861), also known as Adam George Czartoryski, was a Polish szlachta, nobleman, statesman, diplomat and author who served as Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Russian SFSR, Chairman of ...

, statesman, diplomat and author. Foreign Minister of the Russian Empire (1804–1806) * Alexander Rzewuski, general. *

Sofya Kovalevskaya Sofya Vasilyevna Kovalevskaya (; born Korvin-Krukovskaya; – 10 February 1891) was a Russian mathematician who made noteworthy contributions to analysis, partial differential equations and mechanics. She was a pioneer for women in mathematics a ...

, mathematician who made noteworthy contributions to analysis, partial differential equations and mechanics. *

Dmitri Shostakovich Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich, group=n (9 August 1975) was a Soviet-era Russian composer and pianist who became internationally known after the premiere of his First Symphony in 1926 and thereafter was regarded as a major composer. Shostak ...

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...

and

pianist A pianist ( , ) is a musician who plays the piano. A pianist's repertoire may include music from a diverse variety of styles, such as traditional classical music, jazz piano, jazz, blues piano, blues, and popular music, including rock music, ...

. *

Catherine I of Russia Catherine I Alekseyevna Mikhailova (born Marta Samuilovna Skavronskaya; – ) was the second wife and Empress consort of Peter the Great, whom she succeeded as Empress of Russia, ruling from 1725 until her death in 1727. Life as a servant Onl ...

, Empress of Russia *

Konstantin Tsiolkovsky Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky (; rus, Константин Эдуардович Циолковский, p=kənstɐnʲˈtʲin ɪdʊˈardəvʲɪtɕ tsɨɐlˈkofskʲɪj, a=Ru-Konstantin Tsiolkovsky.oga; – 19 September 1935) was a Russi ...

, Russian and Soviet rocket scientist and pioneer of the astronautic theory. *

Nikolay Raevsky Nikolay Nikolayevich Raevsky or Rayevsky (; — ) was a Russian general and statesman who achieved fame for his feats of arms during the Napoleonic Wars. His family left a lasting legacy in Russian society and culture. Early life Nikolay Rae ...

, Russian general and statesman who achieved fame for his feats of arms during the

Napoleonic Wars {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Napoleonic Wars , partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg , caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...

. *

Sigizmund Levanevsky Sigizmund Aleksandrovich Levanevsky (, ; – 13 August 1937) was a Soviet pioneer of long-range flight who was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union in 1934 for his role in the SS ''Chelyuskin'' rescue. Life and career Sigizmund Lev ...

, Soviet pioneer of long-range flight who was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union in 1934 for his role in the SS Chelyuskin rescue. *

Jan Nagórski Alfons Jan Nagórski (1888–1976), also known as ''Ivan Iosifovich Nagurski'', was a Polish engineer and pioneer of aviation, the first person to fly an airplane in the Arctic and the first aviator to perform a loop with a flying boat. Bi ...

, engineer and pioneer of aviation, the first person to fly an airplane in the Arctic and the first aviator to perform a loop with a flying boat. *

Stanisław Kosior Stanisław Vikentyevich Kosior (; 18 November 1889 – 26 February 1939), sometimes spelled Kossior, was a Soviet politician who was First Secretary of the Communist Party of Ukraine, Deputy Premier of the Soviet Union and member of the Politbur ...

, First Secretary of the Ukrainian Communist Party, deputy prime minister of the USSR and member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU). *

, Bolshevik and Director of Cheka *

Vyacheslav Menzhinsky Vyacheslav Rudolfovich Menzhinsky (, ; – 10 May 1934) was a Soviet revolutionary and politician who served as chairman of the OGPU, the secret police of the Soviet Union, from 1926 to 1934. Born to Polish parents in Saint Petersburg, Menzhins ...

Bolshevik The Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, were a radical Faction (political), faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP) which split with the Mensheviks at the 2nd Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party, ...

revolutionary, a

Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

statesman A statesman or stateswoman is a politician or a leader in an organization who has had a long and respected career at the national or international level, or in a given field. Statesman or statesmen may also refer to: Newspapers United States ...

and

Party A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a Hospitality, host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will oft ...

official who served as chairman of the

OGPU The Joint State Political Directorate ( rus, Объединённое государственное политическое управление, p=ɐbjɪdʲɪˈnʲɵn(ː)əjə ɡəsʊˈdarstvʲɪn(ː)əjə pəlʲɪˈtʲitɕɪskəjə ʊprɐˈv ...

from 1926 to 1934. *

Józef Unszlicht Józef Unszlicht or Iosif Stanislavovich Unshlikht (; nicknames "Jurowski", "Leon"; 31 December 1879 – 29 July 1938) was a Polish and Russian revolutionary activist, a Soviet government official and one of the founders of the Cheka. Biography ...

, Bolshevik revolutionary activist, one of the founders of the Cheka and Soviet government official. *

Gleb Krzhizhanovsky Gleb Maksimilianovich Krzhizhanovsky (; 24 January Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="nowiki/>Old Style and New Style dates">O.S. 12 January1872 – 31 March 1959) was a Soviet Union">Soviet scientist, statesman, revolutionary, Old Bol ...

, Soviet Scientist، revolutionary and a state figure as well as a geographer and writer. *

Mathilde Kschessinska Mathilde-Marie Feliksovna Kschessinska ( – 6 December 1971), also known as Princess Romanovskaya-Krasinskaya upon her marriage, was a Polish-Russian ballerina from the noble Krzesiński family. Her father, Felix Kschessinsky, her brother and ...

, ballerina and lover of

Nicholas II of Russia Nicholas II (Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov; 186817 July 1918) or Nikolai II was the last reigning Emperor of Russia, Congress Poland, King of Congress Poland, and Grand Duke of Finland from 1 November 1894 until Abdication of Nicholas II, hi ...

Nikolai Lobachevsky Nikolai Ivanovich Lobachevsky (; , ; – ) was a Russian mathematician and geometer, known primarily for his work on hyperbolic geometry, otherwise known as Lobachevskian geometry, and also for his fundamental study on Dirichlet integrals, kno ...

, mathematician and geometer *

Kazimir Malevich Kazimir Severinovich Malevich (

, painter *

Robert Rozhdestvensky Robert Ivanovich Rozhdestvensky (; 20 June 1932 – 19 August 1994) was a Soviet-Russian poet and songwriter who broke with socialist realism in the 1950s–1960s during the Khrushchev Thaw and, along with such poets as Andrei Voznesensky, ...

, Soviet-Russian poet and Songwriter who broke with socialist realism in the 1950s–1960s during the Khrushchev Thaw. *

Nikolay Lossky Nikolay Onufriyevich Lossky (; – 24 January 1965), also known as N. O. Lossky, was a Russian philosopher, representative of Russian idealism, intuitionist epistemology, personalism, libertarianism, ethics and axiology (value theory). He gave h ...

, Russian Empire philosopher, representative of Russian idealism, intuitionist epistemology, personalism, libertarianism, ethics and axiology (value theory). *

Vaslav Nijinsky Vaslav or Vatslav Nijinsky (12 March 1889/18908 April 1950) was a Russian ballet dancer and choreographer of Polish ancestry. He is regarded as the greatest male dancer of the early 20th century. Nijinsky was celebrated for his virtuosity and f ...

, ballet dancer *

Nikolay Przhevalsky Nikolay Mikhaylovich Przhevalsky (or Prjevalsky;; , . – ) was a Russian geographer and a renowned explorer of Central and East Asia. Although he never reached his ultimate goal, the city of Lhasa in Tibet, he still travelled through regio ...

, geographer *

Marshal of the Soviet Union Marshal of the Soviet Union (, ) was the second-highest military rank of the Soviet Union. Joseph Stalin wore the uniform and insignia of Marshal after World War II. The rank of Marshal of the Soviet Union was created in 1935 and abolished in ...

and

Marshal of Poland Marshal of Poland () is the highest rank in the Polish Army. It has been granted to only six officers. At present, Marshal is equivalent to a field marshal or general of the army (OF-10) in other NATO armies. History Today there are no living ...

Fyodor Stravinsky Fyodor Ignatyevich Stravinsky () (, estate Novy Dvor (Aleksichi), Rechitsky Uyezd, Minsk Governorate ) was a Russian bass opera singer and actor. He was the father of Igor Stravinsky and the grandfather of Théodore Strawinsky and Soulima Stra ...

, bass opera singer and actor *

Igor Stravinsky Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky ( – 6 April 1971) was a Russian composer and conductor with French citizenship (from 1934) and American citizenship (from 1945). He is widely considered one of the most important and influential 20th-century c ...

, composer and pianist *

Dmitri Torbinski Dmitri Yevgenyevich Torbinski (; born 28 April 1984) is a Russian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He was a central midfielder and winger known for his pace and accurate crosses. Club career Torbinski began his car ...

, footballer * Mikhail Brin, father of

Russian-American Russian Americans are Americans of full or partial Russian ancestry. The term can apply to recent Russian immigrants to the United States, as well as to those that settled in the 19th-century Russian possessions in what is now Alaska. Russia ...

inventor

Sergey Brin Sergey Mikhailovich Brin (; born August 21, 1973) is an American computer scientist and businessman who co-founded Google with Larry Page. He was the president of Google's parent company, Alphabet Inc., until stepping down from the role on D ...

Yanina Zhejmo Yanina Boleslavovna Zhejmo (; ; 29 May 1909 – 29 December 1987) was a Soviet actress with Polish parents. She appeared in more than 30 films between 1925 and 1955. Partial filmography * '' Mishki versus Yudenich'' (1925, Short) - youngster * ...

, Soviet actress *

Aleksander Waszkiewicz Major General Aleksander Waszkiewicz (, , often transliterated as Vashkevich; 1901–1945) was a Soviet Union, Soviet military officer of Polish descent. He served in the Red Army as commander of the 793rd Rifle Regiment during 1942–1944 a ...

– Soviet military officer *

Aniela Krzywoń Aniela Krzywoń (27 May 1925 – 12 October 1943) was a private in the "Emilia Plater" Independent Women's Battalion of the Polish People's Army during the Second World War and became the only woman in history who was not a citizen of the Soviet ...

, the only woman in history who was not a citizen of the Soviet Union to be awarded the USSR's highest honor for bravery, the title

Hero of the Soviet Union The title Hero of the Soviet Union () was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded together with the Order of Lenin personally or collectively for heroic feats in service to the Soviet state and society. The title was awarded both ...

. *

Vikenty Veresaev Vikenty Vikentyevich Smidovich (16 January 1867 – 3 June 1945), better known by his pen name Vikenty Vikentyevich Veresaev, () was a Russian and Soviet writer, translator and medical doctor of Polish descent. Early life Veresaev was born ...

(birth name Smidovich) – writer *

Vatslav Vorovsky Vatslav Vatslavovich Vorovsky (; 27 October ld Style and New Style dates, O.S. 15 October1871 – 10 May 1923) was a Russian Bolsheviks, Bolshevik revolutionary, literary critic, journalist, and Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Soviet dipl ...

(Wacław Worowski) – revolutionary, one of the first Soviet diplomats and head of the state publishing house * Mechislav Kozlovsky – communist diplomat and lawyer *

Yury Olesha Yury Karlovich Olesha (, – 10 May 1960) was a Russian and Soviet novelist. He is considered one of the greatest Russian novelists of the 20th century, one of the few to have succeeded in writing works of lasting artistic value despite the s ...

– writer *

Tomasz Dąbal Tomasz Jan Dąbal (; 29 December 1890 – 21 August 1937) was a Polish lawyer, activist of the interwar period and politician. He was the co-founder and the head of state of the Republic of Tarnobrzeg, succeeded by the Second Polish Republic. ...

– communist politician *

– general, commander of the

Polish Second Army Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Polish people, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken * Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin ...

during the fighting for western Poland and the

Battle of Berlin The Battle of Berlin, designated as the Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation by the Soviet Union, and also known as the Fall of Berlin, was one of the last major offensives of the European theatre of World War II. After the Vistula–Od ...

Stanislav Poplavsky Stanislav Gilyarovich Poplavsky (, ) (22 April 1902 – 10 August 1973) was a general in the Soviet and Polish armies. Early life Poplavsky was born in Imperial Russia, in Podolia. His family (his father's name was Hilary) was ethnically Polis ...

(Stanisław Popławski) – general, commander of the Polish First Army during the breakthrough of the Pommernstellung (Pomerania Wall) fortification line, securing the Baltic Sea coast, crossing the Odra and Elbe rivers and the battle of Berlin *

Andrey Vyshinsky Andrey Yanuaryevich Vyshinsky (; ) ( – 22 November 1954) was a Soviet politician, jurist and diplomat. He is best known as a Procurator General of the Soviet Union, state prosecutor of Joseph Stalin's Moscow Trials and in the Nuremberg trial ...

(Andriej or Andrzej Wyszyński) – Prosecutor General of the USSR (1934–1939), the legal mastermind of

Joseph Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Dzhugashvili; 5 March 1953) was a Soviet politician and revolutionary who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until Death and state funeral of Joseph Stalin, his death in 1953. He held power as General Secret ...

Great Purge The Great Purge, or the Great Terror (), also known as the Year of '37 () and the Yezhovshchina ( , ), was a political purge in the Soviet Union that took place from 1936 to 1938. After the Assassination of Sergei Kirov, assassination of ...

Arseny Tarkovsky Arseny Aleksandrovich Tarkovsky (; 27 May 1989) was a Soviet and Russian poet and translator. He was predeceased by his son, film director and screenwriter Andrei Tarkovsky. Biography Family Tarkovsky was born on 25 June N.S. 1907 in Yelisav ...

(Tarkowski) – poet and translator (with a father of Polish descent) *

Andrei Tarkovsky Andrei Arsenyevich Tarkovsky (, ; 4 April 1932 – 29 December 1986) was a Soviet film director and screenwriter of Russian origin. He is widely considered one of the greatest directors in cinema history. Works by Andrei Tarkovsky, His films e ...

(Tarkowski) – film-maker, writer, film editor, film theorist, theatre and opera director (with a paternal grandfather of Polish descent) *

(Szostakowicz) – composer (with a paternal grandfather of Polish descent) *

Rostislav Plyatt Rostislav Yanovich Plyatt (; — 30 June 1989) was a Soviet and Russian stage and film actor. He was named People's Artist of the USSR in 1961 and awarded the USSR State Prize in 1982. Biography Born in Rostov-on-Don (modern-day Rostov Oblast of ...

– actor (of mixed Polish-Ukrainian descent) *

Mstislav Rostropovich Mstislav Leopoldovich Rostropovich (27 March 192727 April 2007) was a Russian Cello, cellist and conducting, conductor. In addition to his interpretations and technique, he was well known for both inspiring and commissioning new works, which enl ...

– cellist and conductor *

Edvard Radzinsky Edvard Stanislavovich Radzinsky (; born September 23, 1936) is a Russian historian, playwright, television personality, and screenwriter. He authored more than forty history books that are popular in Russia. Biography Edvard Stanislavovich Rad ...

– playwright, TV personality *

Edita Piekha Edita Stanislavovna Piekha (born 31 July 1937) is a Soviet and Russian singer and actress of Polish descent. The peak of her popularity in the countries of the former USSR was in the 1960s. Her most famous song is “Our Neighbor”. (Наш с� ...

(Edyta Piecha) – singer, born in France, moved to USSR *

Anatoly Sobchak Anatoly Aleksandrovich Sobchak ( rus, Анатолий Александрович Собчак, p=ɐnɐˈtolʲɪj ɐlʲɪˈksandrəvʲɪtɕ sɐpˈtɕak; 10 August 1937 – 19 February 2000) was a Russian politician and legal scholar, a co-autho ...

– mayor of Saint Petersburg (mixed Russian-Ukrainian-Polish-

Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus *Czech (surnam ...

descent) *

Sergey Yastrzhembsky Sergey Vladimirovich Yastrzhembsky (, ; born December 4, 1953) is a Russian statesman and diplomat. He has the federal state civilian service rank of 1st class Active State Councillor of the Russian Federation. He has been called "the keeper of V ...

(Jastrzębski) – Russian politician, President Vladimir Putin’s chief spokesperson on the

Second Chechen War Names The Second Chechen War is also known as the Second Chechen Campaign () or the Second Russian Invasion of Chechnya from the Chechens, Chechen insurgents' point of view.Федеральный закон № 5-ФЗ от 12 января 19 ...

, head of the Kremlin’s Information Policy Department, co-ordinating Putin administration's external communications. *

Konstantin Petrzhak Konstantin Antonovich Petrzhak (alternatively Pietrzak; rus, Константи́н Анто́нович Пе́тржак, p=kənstɐnʲˈtʲin ɐnˈtonəvʲɪtɕ ˈpʲedʐək, ; 4 September 1907 – 10 October 1998), , was a Russian physicist ...

– physicist *

Vladislav Strzhelchik Vladislav Ignatievich Strzhelchik (; 1921–1995) was a Soviet and Russian actor. People's Artist of the USSR (1974). Biography Vladislav Strzhelchik born in Petrograd (now Saint Petersburg, Russia). His father, Ignatiy Petrovich was a native of ...

– Soviet and Russian actor. *

Osip Kozlovsky Osip (Russian ''О́сип'') is a Russian male given name, a variant of the name Joseph. Notable people with the name include: * Osip Abdulov (1900–1953), Soviet actor * Osip Aptekman, Russian revolutionary * Ossip Bernstein (1882–1962), Uk ...

– composer *

Leon Kovalsky Leon Iosifovich Kovalsky (; 28 April 1940 – 4 June 2023) was a Russian engineer politician. A member of Our Home – Russia, he served in the Federation Council from 1996 to 2006 and was Chairman of the Samara Regional Duma from 1994 to 2001. ...

- engineer politician *

Vatslav Dvorzhetsky Vatslav Yanovich Dvorzhetsky (; ) – April 11, 1993) was a Soviet film and theater actor. People's Artist of the RSFSR (1991). Biography Vatslav Dvorzhetsky born to a family of Polish nobility. He studied at drama school at the Kiev Polish D ...

– Soviet film and theater actor. People's Artist of the RSFSR (1991). *

Anatoly Kubatsky Anatoly Lvovich Kubatsky (; 1 November 1908 – 29 December 2001) was a Soviet stage and film actor. Life Kubatsky was born in Moscow to parents of Polish ancestry. After studying under Yuri Zavadsky, he found acting work in various theaters throu ...

– Soviet stage and film actor. *

Mikhail Vrubel Mikhail Aleksandrovich Vrubel (; – ) was a Russian painter, draughtsman, and sculptor. A prolific and innovative master in various media such as painting, drawing, decorative sculpture, and theatrical art, Vrubel is generally character ...

– Painter * Skarzhinsky, Nikolai Georgievich - Russian Major General (1849–1910). *

Tatyana Shmyga Tatyana Ivanovna Shmyga (; born 31 December 1928 – died 3 February 2011) was a Soviet Union, Soviet and Russian operetta, operetta/musical theatre performer. She went on to act in films as well. She was a People's Artist of the USSR (1978).

- operetta/musical theatre performer * Skarzhinsky, Vasily Anastasievich - Russian Major General * Skarzhinsky, Pyotr Mikhailovich - Major General, Cavalier of the Order of St. Vladimir of the 2nd degree and the Order of St. George of the 4th degree. Commander of the Astrakhan Cossack Regiment. He participated in the Russo-Turkish War of 1768-1774 and the Russo-Turkish War of 1787-1791 * Skarzhinsky, Nikolai Petrovich - lieutenant of the Izmailovo regiment, mortally wounded at Kulm (August 17, 1813), his name is listed on the wall of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow. * Skarzhinsky, Nikolai Vladimirovich (1910–1990) Soviet serviceman, who served in the Soviet 327th anti-tank battalion of the 253rd Rifle Division, was awarded the Order "For Courage" and the Order of Glory of the 3rd degree during the Great Patriotic War.

References

{{Authority control Ethnic groups in Russia Ethnic Poles in Russia and the Soviet Union