Information on the thesis

Thesis for the Doctor’s degree in History, specialty 07.00.02. – World History. –
Lesia Ukrainka Eastern European National University, Lutsk, 2015.
The  major  task of this thesis  is to  present  complex comprehensive study  of the
national-cultural and religious life in the Western Volynian lands in the period of being
a part of Poland in 1921–1939.
The  research  revealed  that  Western  Volyn  at  that  time  was  the  region  with  a
diverse  multifarious  national  and  religious  composition  of  population.  It  was  a
multinational  district  where  various  religious  confessions  and  cultures  intersected.
Under such circumstances the government had to work out special, particular approaches
to solve existing inter-national and inter-confessional relationship problems.
Polish  government’s  national-cultural  policy  on  the  territory  of  Western  Volyn
had been implemented within three main periods, determined by different approaches
to  solving  the  problem:  1) 1921–1925  –  priority  of  the  Polish  democratic  forces
doctrine, which laid emphasis on entirely mononational (Polish)  character of cultural
life and national assimilation of the non-Polish nations; 2) 1926–1934 – modification of
the program principles, official statement that the state policy of the government as to
the national  minorities ought to  be  called  “regime  of  reconciliation”  policy  aimed  at
achieving  loyalty  of  non-Polish  population  to  the  Polish  government  through  certain
concessions; 3) 1935–1939 – national policy of “reconciliation” had abruptly changed
turning right. That period was marked by increasing polonization pressure on national
minorities in all spheres of their cultural, educational and religious life.
The  most  important  goal  of  national-cultural  policy  conducted  by  the  Polish
government  in  the  Eastern  lands  was  schooling  system.  In  1920–1930  the  Polish
government concentrated on the introduction and development of Polish school system
in  Volyn.  Its  principal  aim  was  educating  youth  in  the  spirit  of  “Polish  patriotism”,
propaganda of Polish cultural achievements among local population.
However  educational  policy  was  considered  to  be  the  most  powerful  tool  and
means of assimilation processes led by the Polish government in the interwar period
and  was  aimed  at  gradual  elimination  of  schools  where  teaching  was  in  national
languages.
Alongside  with  education  the  state  paid  great  attention to  art  in  the  attempts  to
spread Polish cultural influence on the Eastern lands. The most effective instrument in
the realization of this policy among non-Polish population was music and dramatic art.
In  the  cultural-artistic  life  of  the  Ukrainian  people  in  Volyn  the  “Prosvita”  society
played  the  most  prominent  role.  The  revival  of  national  tradition  of  Ukrainian
choreography, development of instrumental musical art, amateur art and over time the
professional theatre are associated with the activities of that society. The activities of
Jewish, Czech, Russian theatres and music collectives had become an important form
of preserving national culture identity of those national communities, which lived on
the territory of Volyn.
State church policy of the Second Rich Pospolyta on the Western Ukrainian lands
during the interwar period was aimed at national and confessional assimilation of the
Ukrainian  orthodox  population,  its  integration  into  Polish  nation  and  Rome-Catholic
church. In the early 1920-ies local orthodox population resisted against implementation
of this program of the Polish state and it gave rise to  active and powerful national-
religious movements in Volyn. The main slogan of those movements was Ukrainization
of the Orthodox church. In the terms of  “reconciliation” policy governments brought
about some tolerance to the resistance movements. The government pursued two main
objectives: to achieve de-Russification of the Orthodox eparchies in Poland and to use
church as an instrument of influence on the local Ukrainians. In the late 20-ies of the
interwar  period  polonization  of  the  Orthodox  church  in  Poland  had  become  a  prior
claim  of  the  state  religious  policy  and  was  aimed  at  absolute  subordination  of  the
orthodox church to the Polish state. The state tried to take under its control also the
activities of the religious communities of Jews and protestants.
On the territory of Eastern voivodships the role of Rome-Catholic church in the
confessional policy was particularly important. In the period of 1920−1930 the priority
of  this  confession  was  purposefully  supported  by  the  state  apparatus.  Such  policy
caused aggravation of inter-confessional situation in the region, limited opportunities of
national-cultural development of non-Polish population.
Key words: Volyn, international relationships, national-cultural policy of Poland,
religious policy, national minorities, schooling, confessions, artistic life.