Social and Political Activity of Poles of Uman Povit at the Beginning of the 20th Century in Coverage of ‘Kievlyanin’ Newspaper

Abstract

The purpose of the research paper is to analyze the publications about the social and political activities of the Poles of Uman povit at the beginning of the 20^th century found in ‘Kievlyanin’, the newspaper of the province. This will contribute to a better understanding of the deep essence of the Polish-Russian antagonism, which was intensified by the imperial power to reduce Polish political influence.

The scientific novelty of the study is in the detailed analysis of the attention of ‘Kievlyanin’, a conservative (within the studied chronological boundaries) newspaper of the province, to Russian imperial policy regarding the social and political activity of the Poles during the years of elections to the State Duma and the formation of elected zemstvos. It is found out that the newspaper focused much of its attention on the efforts of the imperial authorities to limit the participation of Poles in the political process, leaving them the only field of activity, namely their functioning in local zemstvos.

Conclusions. It is found out that the newspaper ‘Kievlyanin’, which was of mass circulation and was distributed throughout the whole South-West region, published materials about the Russian-Polish antagonism on the incorporated Ukrainian territories. Publications about the social and political activity of the Poles within one povit at the beginning of the 20^th century give reason to conclude that the Empire’s Russificational policy was aimed at reducing Polish political influence. The years of elections to the State Duma, the first representative body of power in the Russian Empire, and the formation of elected bodies of local self-government – zemstvos, were a favorable time for the intensification of Poles’ activity. Materials published in 1906-1912 in the columns of ‘Kievlyanin’ about the participation of the Poles of the povit in those processes supplement the information about the essence of the depolonization policy. Participation of the Poles in social and political life was regulated by such measures as the prohibition of concluding agreements during the elections to the State Duma and introducing of Polish and Russian curias during the formation of elected zemstvos. The Russian authorities left only functioning in local zemstvos for the vigorous activity of the Poles. The rhetoric of newspaper publications on this issue indicates a sympathetic attitude of the conservative ‘Kievlyanin’ to the possibilities of the Poles’ participation in social and political life in Ukrainian lands at the beginning of the 20^th century.