Lietuvos lenkų trėmimai: 1941–1952 m
Deportations of Lithuanian Poles: 1941–1952

Summary/Abstract: Based on archival and historiographic material, the article addresses the deportations of Lithuanian Poles in 1941– 1952, determines the number of Poles deported, describes the reaction of residents towards deportations and discusses the influence of deportations on the economic situation in East and Southeast Lithuania. It should be noted that Poles constituted the second largest group of deportees after Lithuanians, however, as a result of the campaign of displacement of Poles from the Lithuanian SSR (as well as the Ukrainian SSR and the Byelorussian SSR) to Poland carried out in the first years after the war, the Polish community was less affected by deportations. The Polish community mostly suffered during the deportations under code names “Wave Fall” (1949) and “Autumn” (1951). The article ends with the following conclusions: 1. The deportations of Lithuanian residents executed by the Soviet government involved the people of different ethnic groups, including Poles. They made up the second ethnic group most affected by deportations after Lithuanians. In 1941–1952, some 4.5 thousand Poles were deported from Lithuania. Poles were most affected by deportations in 1949 and 1951, when approximately 60% of the Poles deported from Lithuania in the period under analysis were deported. 2. The scope of deportations in “Lithuanian” and “Polish” counties diverged. It was smaller in the latter counties. The key reason behind such a situation is the Polish migration to Poland in 1944–1947. The migration reduced the scope of repressions in East and Southeast Lithuania and determined the absence of deportations from this region in 1946–1947. Thanks to the said migration, “potential deportees” fled to Poland: Polish residents of higher social ranks and more stable material status. Mostly the Poles involved in agriculture and the Polish residents of poorer financial status remained in the region. 3. The second stage of migration to Poland (1955–1959) coincided with a more massive release of deportees from Siberian exile. The said migration was in favour of the Soviet government of the Lithuanian SSR as it not only reduced the number of returning Polish deportees but also suppressed the social tension in East and Southeast Lithuania. Several thousands of Polish deportees from Lithuania did not come back to Lithuania but went straight to Poland, yet others, who first made their way back to Lithuania, departed to the neighbouring country soon afterwards. 4. The deportations contributed to achieving the goals of the Soviet government in East and Southeast Lithuania, i.e. to accelerate the collectivization of agriculture. Intimidated by deportations and willing to protect against them, people used to enter Soviet collective farms. Deportations also intensified the internal (national) migration as the intimidated residents tried to settle in larger cities. Vilnius was the largest centre of attraction in East and

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