Polish Society "Oświata"
Polish Society "Oświata" Polskie Towarzystwo "Oświata" | |
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| Leader |
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| Founded | 1905 |
| Dissolved | December 5, 1909 (after that date continued underground activities until 1917) |
| Headquarters | Minsk |
| Ideology | spreading Polishness through education |
The Polish Society "Oświata" (also known as the Society "Oświata" and "Oświata") was a Polish social organization founded in 1905, operating in Minsk and in the Minsk Governorate of the Russian Empire. Until 1907, its activities were carried out clandestinely, legally from 1907 to 1909, and then again clandestinely. The society aimed to educate the inhabitants of the Minsk region, especially children, in the spirit of Polishness, as well as to disseminate Polish culture, language, and strengthen national consciousness in these lands. The organization was persecuted, and during its legal activity, it was treated with hostility by the Russian authorities because strengthening Polish identity in the annexed lands contradicted the state administration's strategy of Russification and assimilation.