The main aspects of ethnic identity among the members of the "Polish Cultural Center “Polish House” in Tomsk"

The article deals with the importance of individual self-perception factors (language, religion, culture, historical memory) for maintaining Polish ethnic identity among the regional public organization “Polish House” members in Tomsk in the late 2010s. The main theoretical foundations of the work are the constructivist approach of the theory of ethnos (R. Brubaker, V.A. Tishkov) and the theory of historical memory (M. Halbwaks). Ethnic autostereotypes of this group are examined. The variability and contextuality of self-determination on an ethnic or political basis depending on the context of circumstances are shown: from the ethnonym “Pole” to the politonym “Russian” It is shown how important it is for the respondents to learn/know Polish, as it is one of the components of their identity. The majority of respondents know Polish or are learning it. As the authors noted, religious affiliation and commitment to Catholicism are not crucial for self-awareness as a Pole. The issue of preserving historical memory as a factor of ethnic identity is considered separately. The interviewees pointed out the importance of family history and archival materials (letters, photo albums) for the transmission of traditions and participation in the history of the Polish people. Poles from Siberia came here at various times in the XIX and XX centuries. In most cases, these were not voluntary resettlements. The authors studied the issues of the integration of Poles into Russian society. According to the study results, most respondents believe that Poles are fully integrated into Russian society. But, unfortunately, the Russian public sometimes extrapolates the actions and statements of Polish politicians to all Poles, which can have a negative impact on the attitude of Russians toward this ethnic group. The survey results show that the self-confidence of Russian Poles who have Polish ancestors (or suspect that they have Polish ancestors) is ambivalent and depends on external factors. Furthermore, they show the great importance of historical (collective) memory, which is the most important marker of the identity of Russian Poles, while linguistic and religious markers do not play such an important role.

Poles, Russian Poles, Siberia, ethnic identity, historical memory, autostereotypes, constructivism, public organizations