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East Polish Soviet Socialist Republic

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The East Polish Soviet Socialist Republic,[a] abbreviated to the East Polish SSR,[b][1][2] and also known as the Republic of Eastern Poland,[c][2] was a proposition to establish a constituent republic of the Soviet Union, from the part of the territory of Lithuanian SSR and Byelorussian SSR. Its territory was planned to include the area with the majority of Polish population, including the Vilnius Region (with or without the city of Vilnius) and the area around the city of Grodno. The idea emerged in early 1990, during the dissolution of the Soviet Union.[3][1][2]

History

The idea emerged in early 1990, following the Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania on 11 March 1990, in which Lithuanian SSR declared independence from the Soviet Union. The activists of the Polish minority in Lithuania, afraid of the marginalization and Lithuanization of the minority, proposed the establishment of the Polish autonomous regions, that would be eventually united into the Soviet republic. The exact borders of the region weren't determined, however, it was proposed that they would include the area with the majority of Polish population of Vilnius Region (with or without the city of Vilnius) in Lithuanian SSR and area around the city of Grodno, Byelorussian SSR.[3][1][2]

The idea was supported by Polish Human Rights Party based in Vilnius, with Jan Ciechanowicz as its leader. Ciechanowicz has discussed the proposition with Mikhail Gorbachev, leader of the Soviet Union. The results of this conversation remain unknown, however, Gorbachev was interested in weakening the government of Lithuania, and passed it along to Wojciech Jaruzelski, president of Poland, who is said to also support the proposition.[3][1][2]

Neither of major political parties nor organizations in Poland had publicly supported the idea. The proposition was protested by the Solidarity, and other international Polish media. The following developments in Lithuania, which eventually led to its full independence in 1991, eventually ended any conversations about the proposition of the East Polish SSR.[3][1][2]

Alongside the idea of East Polish SSR, also existed the self-proclaimed Polish National Territorial Region, which functioned as an autonomous Polish region in Lithuania from 1990 to 1991.[4]

See also

Citations

Notes

  1. ^ Polish: Wschodniopolska Socjalistyczna Republika Radziecka; Russian: Восточно-Польская Советская Социалистическая Республика
  2. ^ Polish: Wschodniopolska SRR; Russian: Восточно-Польская ССР
  3. ^ Polish: Republika Wschodniej Polski; Russian: Польская Восточная Республика

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "„Wielu chce polskiej autonomii na Wileńszczyźnie". Wielu, czyli kto? Polacy z Litwy też?". kresy24.pl.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Wschodniopolska Republika Ludowa na Litwie i Białorusi? Tej prowokacji wojennej już próbowano, a Polska się uodporniła". wpolityce.pl.
  3. ^ a b c d Dangiras Mačiulis, Rimas Minkys, Nikžentaitis Alvydas: "Okupacja Wilna". Rzecz o historii drugiego stopnia. in Mówią Wieki, April 2012.
  4. ^ Vladas Sirutavičius O polskiej autonomii narodowo-terytorialnej na Litwie (wiosna – lato 1991 roku)
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