Polskie nekropolie w Kazachstanie: historia – stan – świadomość

The purpose of this article is to present the condition and distinctiveness of Polish cemeteries in the area of northern Kazakhstan, which are an important part of both Polish and Kazakh history and the cultural heritage of the two nations. The article broadly outlines the historical context related to the forced resettlement of Polish citizens deported from the territories of today’s western Ukraine and the Borderlands into the depths of the Soviet Union in 1936-1945, revealing the dramatic conditions of their expatriation and settlement in the harsh conditions prevailing in the northern regions of Kazakhstan. The paper will discuss the history of the establishment of the first Polish settlements (along with their accompanying cemeteries), as well as the significance that the necropolises have both for the descendants of the Polish deportees and for the contemporary inhabitants of Kazakhstan. Attention will be paid to the present state of the cemeteries, the challenges of their preservation, and the actions taken by local communities and Polish associations to preserve these places of memory. The main source base for these analyses will be personal studies and interviews made by the author in October 2024.