There is a long history of Poles in Azerbaijan (, ). Although the current Polish population of the Republic of Azerbaijan is lower than in former times, the number of people with Polish descent in the capital city Baku is around 2,000 and several thousand self-identified Poles live in Azerbaijan. Poles as an ethnic group have lived in Azerbaijan for centuries. The Russian Empire included Azerbaijan and parts of Poland, thus it could deport members of opposition of Polish nationality there, what explains the presence of Poles in Azerbaijan.
History of Poles in Azerbaijan
In the 17th century, missionaries Paul Wroczyński, Jedrzej Zielonacki and Alexander Kulesza set up a mission in Ganja, in the 1680s. The activities of the missionaries were an important link in understanding and rapprochement of the values of East and West. Missionaries and their followers brought gifts to the court of Shah in the form of valuable paintings, illuminated manuscripts of the Bible, etc. They also raised the subject of positive associations with the Polish people.
The Poles began to appear in Azerbaijan from the 13th century on, mainly as abductees, captured by the Mongol-Tatars, but also as those who came there voluntarily. Since the beginning of the 19th century, Azerbaijan was of interest to Polish travelers as well as romantic poets which can be seen through their work.
Poles in Azerbaijan appeared after I partition of Poland (1772). At this time Russia waged a war of aggression in the Caucasus, and as forced recruits here involved young men from all the occupied territories (mostly from Poland). Caucasus in the 19th century was, along with Siberia, one of the main places of exile Poles. After the first partition of Poland, they appear as recruits in the Caucasian Corps. In 1813, 10,000 Polish prisoners were sent to the Caucasus, most of them members of the Polish Legions in the Napoleon's army. In 1831, after the failed November Uprising a new wave of the exiled Polish insurgents arrived in Azerbaijan. The main points where the Poles were sent to military service, were in Azerbaijan - Quba, Qusar, Shamakhi, Ganja, Baku, and Zaqatala. Buildings of chapels, which were once built for the military Poles and their families in Quba and Zaqatala are still remaining there.
The next batch of repressed Poles were exiled to the Caucasus after the uprising of 1863 (the January Uprising). The Poles have referred to the Caucasus and in Transcaucasia until the end of the 19th century. By the beginning of the 20th century, 17,264 people have been resettled into the Caucasus. The last Polish exile in Azerbaijan, which has so far been identified, was Edward Strump. In 1900, in Warsaw, he published his book Pictures of the Caucasus. Some Polish exiles were completely deprived of their liberty and detained in custody in places like the island fortress and Zaqatala Nargin. Absheron peninsula was an intensively developed oil industry. This, in turn, created conditions for the emergence of new and development of traditional industries. Baku turned into an international city. In 1897 the Polish population was near two thousand. In 1913, employees were among the Poles in Baku were making 52.2%.
Polish community
In 1903, the Poles established a "Polish Charitable Society," which opened the library and school. On August 17, 1909, the company "Polish House in Baku," was registered whose goal was the cultural development of the Polish population. When the society began to function, another Polish School was established. At the beginning of World War I created the "Polish Committee of Baku on the organization of aid war-ravaged population of the Kingdom of Poland." This was associated with the appearance in Baku wave of Polish refugees. All Polish organizations were merged into "The Council of Polish Organizations in Baku." The Poles are also united by the Christian faith. Chapels were built at the locations of the Polish regiments in the Caucasus. In Baku, thanks to the Polish diaspora the government agreed to build a Christian church. Local people called it Polish church. During Stalin's times the church was destroyed. The building of another Christian church, built by the Poles in the city Qusar survived. This building today is known among locals as "The Polish Christian church."
With the establishment of Soviet power in Azerbaijan, many Poles left the country and returned to their historical homeland. The activities of the Polish organizations (as well as other national associations) were banned. Many persons of Polish origin were forced to change nationality.