Ukrainian minority in Poland

Ukrainian minority in Poland

Kievan Rus Foundation of St. Vladimir in Kraków with courtyard patio of a fine dining restaurant
Total population
51,000 (Census 2011) 1,200,000 (Estimate 2017)
Regions with significant populations
Central: Warsaw; north east: Olsztyn, Elbląg; north west: Słupsk, Koszalin; south west: Legnica and Wrocław
Languages
Ukrainian  · Polish
Religion
Greek Catholicism, Orthodox Christianity

The Ukrainian minority in Poland (Ukrainian: Українці, Ukrayintsi, Polish: Ukraińcy), according to the Polish census of 2011 used to be composed of approximately 51,000 people (including 11,451 without Polish citizenship). Some 38,000 respondents named Ukrainian as their first identity (28,000 as their sole identity), 13,000 as their second identity, and 21,000 declared Ukrainian identity jointly with Polish nationality. However, far more realistic assessment of current situation was provided by the Ukraiński Świat Society in 2015 – with headquarters at Nowy Świat in Warsaw – putting the total number of Ukrainians in Poland at 400,000 by current estimate.

In January 2016 the Embassy of Ukraine in Warsaw informed that the number of Ukrainian residents in Poland was half a million with permanent status, and probably around one million in total. Ukrainian Ambassador to Poland, Andrii Deshchytsia, noted that Ukrainian professionals enjoy good reputation in Poland and in spite of their growing numbers Polish-Ukrainian relations remain very good.

The number of applications for refugee status rose 50 times following Euromaidan. The overwhelming majority of applications are being accepted. Resulting from this, Ukrainians constitute 25% of the entire immigrant population of Poland.

Traditionally, most numerous concentrations of Ukrainians would reside in the north-east (Olsztyn and Elbląg), north-west (Słupsk and Koszalin) and south-west of Poland (Legnica and Wrocław). In the years between 2005 and 2006 the Ukrainian language was taught at 162 schools attended by 2,740 Ukrainian students.

Main Ukrainian organizations in Poland include: Association of Ukrainians in Poland (Związek Ukraińców w Polsce), Association of Ukrainians of Podlasie (Związek Ukraińców Podlasia), Ukrainian Society of Lublin (Towarzystwo Ukraińskie w Lublinie), Kievan Rus Foundation of St. Vladimir, pictured (Fundacja św. Włodzimierza Chrzciciela Rusi Kijowskiej), Association of Ukrainian Women (Związek Ukrainek), Ukrainian Educators' Society of Poland (Ukraińskie Towarzystwo Nauczycielskie w Polsce), Ukrainian Medical Society (Ukraińskie Towarzystwo Lekarskie), Ukrainian Club of Stalinist Political Prisoners (Stowarzyszenie Ukraińców - Więźniów Politycznych Okresu Stalinowskiego), Ukrainian Youth Association "ПЛАСТ" (Organizacja Młodzieży Ukraińskiej "PŁAST"), Ukrainian Historical Society (Ukraińskie Towarzystwo Historyczne), and Association of Independent Ukrainian Youth (Związek Niezależnej Młodzieży Ukraińskiej). The most important periodicals published in Ukrainian language include: Our Voice (Nasze Słowo) weekly, and Над Бугом і Нарвою (Nad Buhom i Narwoju) bimontly.