Privy Councilor, revolutionary, Marshal of Victory and other immigrants from Poland who went down in the history of Russia

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

After the annexation of the territory of Poland to the Russian Empire, the inhabitants of the Kingdom of Poland had to adapt to the new reality. Under the new conditions, some managed not only to rise to the top of the career ladder, but also to play a decisive role in the history of Russia, leaving a memory of themselves for centuries.

Poles in Tsarist Russia

The main reason for the appearance of Poles in Russia is the expansion of borders, which radically affected the cultural and socio-economic conditions in the adjacent areas. It was also reflected in the way of life of the Poles, who came to the territory of the Russian Empire not only as a result of tsarist repressions, but also as a result of voluntary migration.

Gradually, the already heterogeneous composition of Russian society began to be supplemented by immigrants from Poland. This especially affected the imperial elite, which was noticeably replenished with representatives of the Polish people. For example, at the end of the 17th century, 24.3% of persons of foreign origin were registered in the boyar corps. The overwhelming majority of them lost their national identity and dissolved in the local society.

The first soldiers from Poland voluntarily came to the service of Tsar Ivan the Terrible. Condottiere in that era became commonplace. Later, the Poles did not find themselves in disgrace either. And since the reign of Alexander II, they began to be appointed to leadership positions.

Polish aristocrats received high ranks and the opportunity to advance in public service. In some counties, according to archival data, their number reached 80%.

Adam Jerzy Czartoryski - Privy Councilor to Alexander I

Prince Adam Jerzy Czartoryski (Czartorizhsky, Czartoryski) is a companion of the monarch who ended up in St. Petersburg at the behest of Catherine II. He was the brother of the wife of Duke Ludwig of Württemberg and cousin to King Augustus Poniatowski. Such an environment testified to the power of the clan, which the Russian authorities could not neglect. Adam easily became friends with the heir to the throne, Alexander, to whom he was appointed by Paul I.

In 1801 Czartoryski became a member of the tacit committee of Alexander I, created to discuss a plan for reforms in the government mechanism. He took an active part in the development of the "Fundamentals of the Constitution" of the Kingdom of Poland. When discussing cases, he opposed serfdom, pointed out the need to distribute the competence of the authorities and transform the judicial system. It was Czartoryski who was credited with clearly posing the question of the establishment of ministries (partly consistent with the present), which was previously attributed to Lagarpe.

Later, Adam was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs, as well as Deputy Chancellor S. R. Vorontsov. The main thing during this period was the project of the III anti-French coalition. Adam managed to achieve success, as evidenced by the appointment to the post of senator and member of the State Council in 1805.

Alas, later Czartoryski was accused of intending to revive Poland at the expense of Russia and was suspected of striving to ascend the throne, as a result of which his influence sharply weakened. Realizing his hopeless position, the once powerful politician resigned in 1806. 25 years later, he was sentenced to death in absentia as the chairman of the Polish government during the November Uprising. Nevertheless, the prince survived not only Alexander, but also Nicholas I, and died in exile in Paris.

Felix Dzerzhinsky - the founder of the Russian special services

The famous revolutionary and statesman of the Soviet era comes from a family of aristocrats, a descendant of Polish nobles. From a young age he was fond of the ideas of Marxism, for which he repeatedly ended up in hard labor and prison.

At the party congress in Stockholm, he met Lenin and went over to his side. At a meeting of the Council of People's Commissars, he was appointed chairman of the All-Russian Extraordinary Commission under the Council of People's Commissars - an apparatus specially developed by Lenin to resist counter-revolution. As a result, he received unlimited rights and directed the punitive measures known as the "Red Terror". Some historians believe that such measures were a forced defensive response to the White Terror. Several decades later, the Russian special services recognized Dzerzhinsky as their ancestor.

After the end of the civil war, Iron Felix initiated several social projects. Among them: • the launch of a state program to protect injured orphans, • the development of sports in the USSR (Dynamo is still considered its brainchild).

During his short life, Dzerzhinsky made an invaluable contribution to history, albeit not entirely unambiguous. He died of a heart attack at a party plenum, during an extremely emotional dispute with former associates.

Julian Markhlevsky - diplomatic representative of the Soviet government

Julian-Baltazar (pseudonyms - Kuyavsky, Karsky) - communist, revolutionary and party leader. He lived in exile in Germany, where he was arrested for anti-war propaganda. Released at the insistence of the Soviet embassy, and after returning to Russia, appointed a diplomatic representative.

During the Soviet-Polish war in 1919, he negotiated with representatives of the Red Cross on peace between Poland and Russia, as well as on the exchange of prisoners. After 2 years, he was sent to Dairen as an emergency commissioner of the Soviet government to be present at the negotiations between Japan and the Far Eastern Republic. Markhlevsky was also charged with the responsibility "to negotiate on all issues concerning the interests of the Russian Republic in the Far East."

During his service, he managed to fulfill a number of important diplomatic assignments of the Soviet government. After that, he provided assistance to the victims of the "white terror" and fighters against fascism. In 1924 he went to Italy for health improvement, where he died.

Kosior Stanislav - prominent politician, communist and revolutionary

Commissioner of the Petrograd Military Revolutionary Committee, statesman and party leader with a difficult fate. He was noted in Poland, Ukraine and Moscow. He was repeatedly subjected to repressions, was arrested 4 times, was in exile in the Yenisei, then in the Yekaterinoslav province, where he led active party work.

Participated in the October Revolution, during the conclusion of the Brest Peace, he joined the "left communists". He served as chairman of the Soviet Control Commission, and in 1930 he became a member of the Presidium of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR and was awarded the Order of Lenin. He was the chairman of the board of the so far known trusts - "Grozneft", "Yugostal", "Vostokstal". In 1933 he became the head of the fuel industry department and the deputy people's commissar of heavy industry of the USSR.

After 5 years he was repressed - Kosior was arrested and sentenced to death. However, in 1956 he was rehabilitated (posthumously) by the military collegium of the USSR Supreme Court and reinstated in the party.

Konstantin Rokossovsky - an outstanding military leader, creator of victory in the Second World War

WWII commander, twice "Hero of the Soviet Union". Descended from the noble family of the Rokossovskys (coat of arms of Oksha or Glyaubich).

At the age of 18 he joined the squadron of the Kargopol regiment to go to the front to defend Russia. After the First World War he took part in the Civil War, then in the Great Patriotic War. In battles with the Nazis, he distinguished himself by his ingenuity, for which he was awarded multiple awards, including twice the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

When he returned to his homeland in Poland, he took up the post of Minister of Defense. However, the nationalists from the supporters of the AK (Home Army) could not forgive Rokossovsky for serving not only his country, but also Russia, which became his second homeland, so in 1950 they attempted twice on his life.

After the end of the service he returned to the USSR for good. The loyalty of the Soviet military leader is confirmed by the phrase "Comrade Stalin is a saint for me!"

Thousands of Poles have shed their blood for the country, which has become their home. Many participated in the Caucasian and Russo-Japanese War, and after their completion they were awarded state awards for courage on the battlefield. In parts of the NKVD, the number of Polish volunteers reached 30,000. But information about the exploits of the military that remained faithful to the oath, as well as information about themselves, was lost.

According to the results of the All-Union Population Census in 1989, more than a million Poles lived on the territory of the USSR. Their descendants have completely merged with the local population.

All of these individuals, along with the holders of the imperial orders, still remain controversial figures both in the history of the Russian state and Poland. Their examples show how difficult and ambiguous the joint stay of Russians and Poles in one state was.