The Polish-Ukrainian border region benefits economically from its geographical location. However, people on both sides living with the traumas of history and continue to maintain their prejudices.
Watch the Video
03:27
Ukrainians in the border area: “All of them are in Poland”
The crumbling paving stones in front of the city hall in the Ukrainian Mostyska would have to be urgently renewed. Also, the two benches in the small green area in front of the buildings look as if they were not been painted for too long. But who should do this?
“Two years ago, when we started with the renovation of this small square in front of the town hall, there were four brigades, each of five workers. Now I can’t find any more people for these Jobs”, said mayor Serhiy Storoschuk. Officially, 9,000 people live in Mostyska, but in reality they are less because many work in the neighboring country of Poland. The EU border is only 15 kilometers more to the West.
“If it goes on like this, will work in Mostyska only three people: the mayor, the community leaders and local government representatives. Otherwise, only pensioners will stay in the city”: This joke be told in his city more and more often, says Serhiy Storoschuk. However, the border location also offers financial advantages for the people in Mostyska: “200 to 300 inhabitants each and every day drive over the border, because you deserve at least a few euros.”
Serhiy Storoschuk shall not labour more for its Ukrainian city
The small cross-border trade
The bus ride up to the Ukrainian-Polish border will take only half an hour. The stores with alcohol and cigarettes are mentioned here, as in the English “shop”, you can feel already, as the West moves closer. Here is a pack of cigarettes costs less than a Euro, but a few Hundred metres further on, on the Polish border Bazaar of Medyka, already twice as much. Who is particularly brave, you can buy Ukrainian vodka of questionable origin at a bargain price.
Across the border to Poland, you are allowed to take two vodka bottles of half a Liter and two packs of cigarettes. For an “ant” – like the commuters at the crosswalk are called – can bring each way across the border for a profit of five to seven euros. Of this money, a lot of like Polish food to buy on the other side of the border. “First of all, cottage cheese, milk, and some meats taste better,” you will hear of women and men with heavy bags back on foot across the border into the Ukraine.
Who is with the car on the road, can carry more in the Ukraine. Duty-free Goods up to 500 Euro and up to 50 kilos. The Polish food will land on the markets for wealthy Ukrainians, and in the Restaurants of Lviv (Lviv). In the direction of Ukraine is also old, but still functioning electro-transported devices that you previously bought from a German recycling company.
Common logistics, common history
Who has the money can buy on the Polish side, often large quantities of food or household appliances, if there are cheap deals. Then you will be transported piece by piece in the Ukraine – in each case in amounts that are not yet duty-free.
Izabella Tomaszewska: “The Ukrainians are determined to work here”
The trade and logistics center in the Polish city of korchova provides bearing surfaces. “Not only stored the Goods. We have also discount stores in our halls, and soon we’ll manufacture here, even kitchen roll. The Ukrainians are here to work,” says the managing Director Izabella Tomaszewska.
She is especially proud to take to the celebrations in honor of the author of the Ukrainian national anthem Mykhailo Werbyzkyj, the year in korchova. He was a pastor there and is buried a few Hundred metres further on. The Polish owner of the logistics center to organize this event. Izabella Tomaszewska referred to them as “Polish-Ukrainian Meeting of people, where the story at heart”.
At this Meeting Hanna Wanio year is happy. She lives on the other side of the border, in the Ukrainian Krakowez, and regularly buys on the Polish side. The Pensioner has Polish-Ukrainian roots. “I can understand with the poles well, there never was a problem. I’m glad I live on the border and commute.” Does it bother you that politicians play, the people sometimes “each other”.
Nationalist Tensions
Hanna Wanio was dismayed when several of the Ukrainians of the access to the Parking area on the Polish side of the border was denied. It was a group of Ukrainian students, who were photographed in 2014 in the Polish Prömsel (Przemyśl) at a Party with the red-and-black flag of the Ukrainian insurgent army. In Poland proscribed partisan organization in 1943 for the massacre of the Polish population in Volyn Region is responsible.
Hanna Wanio commutes regularly across the border
Until today, the photo of the students with the words “access forbidden to hang at the entrance of the car Park”. The top of the Polish national flag. “There are Ukrainians who believe that this Region should belong to Ukraine. I want to show that here in Poland,” says Tadeusz Jakubowski, the owner of the Parking lot. If Ukrainian driver to arrive, bossed around and call you. To Polish drivers, he polite.
Commitment against prejudice
15 kilometres further on, in the Polish Prömsel, trying Tetyana Nakonieczna from the Association of Ukrainians in Poland to build good relations between neighbors. The ethnic Ukrainian and grew up in Prömsel, then for several years after Canada pulled and 2013 in their home town returned.
“Directly after my return, I was scared of a historical re-enactment of the Volyn massacre,” recalls Tetyana Nakonieczna, which is known in the Region, mainly under her maiden name Czorny. At the time, was playing in front of an audience, the Ukrainian murders at the poles, from the year 1943 “succeeded”. This anti-Ukrainian propaganda was not without consequences: Three years later, the Ukrainians were attacked during a religious-Patriotic procession of Polish nationalists.
Tetyana feel the atmosphere still tense. Reports on the Polish-Ukrainian conflicts have you read always first on Russian sites: “This could be a Signal that there is a Russian influence. I’m sure that Russia is interested in fomenting the conflict.”
These tensions were not always addressed again to fight in local and national elections, before the elections, however.
Tetyana has lived a long time in Canada
In the Eastern border area of Poland, the EU seems to be a choice, pretty far removed: It is more likely to be spoken in Warsaw and in television. On occasional posters are, especially the candidates of the government party law and justice (PiS) to. The South pole is a niche Region of the Carpathian foothills is considered to be one of the strongholds of the national-conservative PiS. But here is also widely used prior to the European elections of the opinion that the politicians live in Brussels anyway no influence on the everyday life of the people, and that the Polish parliamentary elections in the autumn are much more important.
Tetyana, the understanding between the poles and the Ukrainians at heart. They feared that the anti-Ukrainian sentiment in Poland is exacerbated when many of the nationalist Polish politicians move to the European Parliament, and later, in the autumn, to the Parliament in Warsaw. Now the fight against prejudice is your main task. In the brochure of your Association is that there are among the poles, many tolerant and open-minded people that not all Ukrainians are nationalists and the Ukrainian women do not primarily work in the Sexbusiness.
Ukrainians in Poland: “life like us”
Tetyanas friends, the Ukrainian couple Korpan, have been living for 12 years in the Polish Prömsel. “When we came here, there were no conflicts,” remembers Oleh Korpan.
Oleh and Natalia Korpan with her daughter Marta
“We quickly learned Polish and we feel at home here. The problems between the poles and the Ukrainians come from the top, maybe some people want to score points.”
Highly qualified professionals, such as the couple Korpan – Oleh doctor, his wife Natalia, the teacher of mathematics will be sought in Poland, wringing her hands. The Polish economy is booming, but since the country’s EU accession (2004) are approximately emigrated two million poles. Often it is the Ukrainians who fill the gaps on the Polish labour market: Today, more than a Million Ukrainian citizens working in Poland.
Natalia and Oleh earn in Prömsel much more than your friends in the home. “If you are aware of the current tensions, one thinks of it sometimes, return. But we don’t want to, life is like here for us,” says Natalia. Also you the Polish milk tastes better.