The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth maintained diplomatic relations with Russia from the 16th century until the Third Partition of Poland in 1795. The Second Polish Republic fought against Soviet Russia from 14 February 1919 until the signing of the Treaty of Riga on 18 March 1921. On 17 September 1939, the USSR invaded Poland without declaring war. Following the Sikorski-Mayski agreement, diplomatic relations were resumed on 30 July 1941, only to be broken off by the Soviet Union on 25 April 1943. After the Potsdam Conference (17 July – 2 April 1945), relations between the Polish People’s Republic and the USSR were non-sovereign. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union (25 December 1991), Russia became its legal successor, and all agreements between the Polish People’s Republic and the USSR were subject to legal succession by the Republic of Poland and the Russian Federation.
The main document governing relations between Poland and Russia is the Treaty on Friendly and Good-Neighbourly Cooperation of 22 May 1992, signed by Presidents Lech Wa??sa and Boris Yeltsin. Today, several dozen bilateral agreements are in force between the Republic of Poland and the Russian Federation. Bilateral relations are good and have been steadily improving.
Nevertheless, Polish-Russian relations remain marred by a number of unsolved problems, including issues which are historical in nature.
Russia is Poland’s most important economic partner outside the EU. In 2011, trade between the two countries set a new record, exceeding USD 34 billion. Polish exports to Russia totalled USD 8.539 billion, while imports from Russia amounted to USD 25.531 billion. In 2010, Russia ranked sixth among Poland’s export partners and second among our import partners.
The majority of people of Polish heritage in Russia are the descendants of exiles deported to Russia as a result of subsequent historical upheavals: uprisings, wars, waves of mass repression. According to official data, 73,000 people of Polish descent live in Russia – but most of them speak no Polish. More than 70 Polish community organizations are active in the country; most of them are associated in the Federal Polish National and Cultural Autonomy “Polish Congress in Russia”. The key hubs of Polish diaspora life are Moscow and St. Petersburg, while Siberia is home to the largest Polish community (approx. 30,000 people).
Website of the Polish Embassy in Moscow
Website of the CG in Irkutsk
Website of the CG in Kaliningrad
Website of the CG in St. Petersburg