Artykuł jest próbą zestawienia miejsca, jakie mniejszość polska na Wileńszczyźnie zajmuje współcześnie w świadomości rodaków, ze sposobem, w jaki społeczność tę widziano przed stuleciem. Z uwagi na ewidentne odmienności obu grup oraz obu „momentów historycznych”, skutkujących również brakiem ekwiwalentności metodologicznej, bardziej niż na rezultatach porównania sensu stricto skoncentrowano się na charakterystyce przedmiotów zestawienia, uwzględniającej elementy społeczne, polityczne i kulturowe. W tym celu przyjrzano się trzem obszarom życia społecznego: (1) relacjom politycznym pomiędzy Polską a Litwą i sposobowi, w jaki były/są one rozumiane przez Polaków; (2) etniczności Polaków z Wileńszczyzny i poziomowi zainteresowania nimi przez rodaków macierzystych; a także (3) kresowości i peryferyjności tego regionu. Rozważania oparto na wynikach współczesnych badań socjologicznych oraz literaturze przedmiotu, a także na relacjach historycznych.

The article attempts at a juxtaposition of the place the Polish minority in the Vilnius region occupies at present in their co-nationals’ awareness, and the way this community used to be perceived a century ago. Due to apparent dissimilarities between these two groups and two ‘historical moments’ which result also in some methodological disequivalence, the author focuses more on these two objects’ characteristics (including social, political and cultural components) than on the results of the comparison as such. Consequently, the three fields of social life were analysed: (1) political relations between Poland and Lithuania and the way in which they used to be and are understood by Poles; (2) the ethnicity of the Poles from the Vilnius region and the level of attractiveness theyrraise of their co-nationals in Poland; (3) the borderland-like and peripheral character of this region. The considerations were based upon the results of the contemporary sociological research and the relevant literature as well as on historical records.

Key words: Poles (Poland), Lithuania, the Vilnius region, Poland’s former lands, awareness, ethnicity

The article attempts at a juxtaposition of the place the Polish minority in the Vilnius region occupies at present in their co-nationals’ awareness, and the way this community used to be perceived a century ago. Due to apparent dissimilarities between these two groups and two ‘historical moments’ which result also in some methodological disequivalence, the author focuses more on these two objects’ characteristics (including social, political and cultural components) than on the results of the comparison as such. Consequently, the three fields of social life were analysed: (1) political relations between Poland and Lithuania and the way in which they used to be and are understood by Poles; (2) the ethnicity of the Poles from the Vilnius region and the level of attractiveness theyrraise of their co-nationals in Poland; (3) the borderland-like and peripheral character of this region. The considerations were based upon the results of the contemporary sociological research and the relevant literature as well as on historical records.