The strategy of “pol’shchizna” in the ethno-confessional context: Sociocultural and political aspects (on the example of Belarus)

Abstract

The author makes an attempt, based on the work of modern domestic and foreign researchers, to give a systematic description of the strategy of “pol’shchizna”, to determine the specifics of its use in the modern Belarusian ethno-confessional context, as well to reveal the role of this strategy at the beginning of the XXI century. This strategy is considered as a long-term system of indirect actions, primarily of a humanitarian plan, which are designed to solve the tasks of the “eastern policy” of the modern Polish state in the format of a comprehensive promotion of “Polishness”. The article traces the design of the concept of “pol’shchizna”, identifies the goalsetting ideological characteristics and cultural and historical prerequisites of this strategy, and also examines the main directions and the most successful practices of its implementation in the ethno-confessional context of modern Belarus. It is concluded that in Belarus in the 1990s — the first decades of the 21st century, a pro-Polish-oriented part of the population was formed, which in many ways became a support for further manipulative actions already in political terms, which was clearly shown by the events around the presidential campaign of 2020. It is argued that referring to the specific experience of implementing this political strategy is useful in modern conditions from the point of view of evaluating the effectiveness of the project of the Union State of Russia and Belarus, as well as developing Russia’s own strategy in relation to this region.