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The Belarusian-Polish border is the state border between the
Republic of Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
(EU member) and the
Republic of Belarus A republic () is a "state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th c ...
(
Union State The Union State,; be, Саю́зная дзяржа́ва Расі́і і Белару́сі, Sajuznaja dziaržava Rasii i Bielarusi, links=no. or Union State of Russia and Belarus,; be, Саю́зная дзяржа́ва, Sajuznaja dziar ...
). It has a total length of , or Informacje o Polsce - informacje ogólne
. Page gives Polish PWN Encyklopedia as reference.
(sources vary). It starts from the triple junction of the borders with Lithuania in the north and stretches to the triple junction borders with Ukraine to the south. It is also part of the EU border with Belarus. The border runs along the administrative borders of two Voivodships
Podlaskie Podlaskie Voivodeship or Podlasie Province ( pl, Województwo podlaskie, ) is a voivodeship (province) in northeastern Poland. The name of the province and its territory correspond to the historic region of Podlachia. The capital and largest cit ...
and Lubelskie in the Polish side and
Grodno Grodno (russian: Гродно, pl, Grodno; lt, Gardinas) or Hrodna ( be, Гродна ), is a city in western Belarus. The city is located on the Neman River, 300 km (186 mi) from Minsk, about 15 km (9 mi) from the Polish b ...
and
Brest Brest may refer to: Places *Brest, Belarus **Brest Region **Brest Airport **Brest Fortress * Brest, Kyustendil Province, Bulgaria * Břest, Czech Republic *Brest, France ** Arrondissement of Brest **Brest Bretagne Airport ** Château de Brest *Br ...
Vobłasć in the Belarusian side. In the Polish side, the section is under the protection of the Podlaskie Border Guard Unit, while the section is in the operation area of the Bug River Border Guard Unit. Border rivers (from north to south) are
Czarna Hańcza The Czarna Hańcza, Chornaya Hancha (, ) is the largest river of the Suwałki Region of north-eastern Poland and the Sapockin region of north-western Belarus. It is known for having large postglacial boulders. Originating near Lake Hańcza (the ...
, Wołkuszanka, Świsłocz,
Narew The Narew (; be, Нараў, translit=Naraŭ; or ; Sudovian: ''Naura''; Old German: ''Nare''; uk, Нарва, translit=Narva) is a 499-kilometre (310 mi) river primarily in north-eastern Poland, which is also a tributary of the river Vis ...
, and Bug.


History

After the
Soviet invasion of Poland The Soviet invasion of Poland was a military operation by the Soviet Union without a formal declaration of war. On 17 September 1939, the Soviet Union invaded Poland from the east, 16 days after Nazi Germany invaded Poland from the west. Subse ...
in September 1939, the area of
West Belarus Western Belorussia or Western Belarus ( be, Заходняя Беларусь, translit=Zachodniaja Bielaruś; pl, Zachodnia Białoruś; russian: Западная Белоруссия, translit=Zapadnaya Belorussiya) is a historical region of mod ...
was annexed into the
Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic The Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (BSSR, or Byelorussian SSR; be, Беларуская Савецкая Сацыялістычная Рэспубліка, Bielaruskaja Savieckaja Sacyjalistyčnaja Respublika; russian: Белор ...
. Five new Voblasts were created: Baranavichy, Belostok, Brest, Pinsk, and Vialejka. In accordance with the Border Agreement between Poland and the USSR of 16 August 1945, 17 districts of
Belastok Voblast Belastok Voblast or Belostok Oblast ( be, Беластоцкая вобласць, Biełastockaja vobłasć, russian: Белостокская Область, pl, Obwód białostocki) was a short-lived territorial unit in the Belarusian Soviet ...
of the BSSR including the city of
Białystok Białystok is the largest city in northeastern Poland and the capital of the Podlaskie Voivodeship. It is the tenth-largest city in Poland, second in terms of population density, and thirteenth in area. Białystok is located in the Białystok Up ...
and 3 districts of
Brest Voblast Brest Region or Brest Oblast or Brest Voblasts ( be, Брэ́сцкая во́бласць ''(Bresckaja vobłasć)''; russian: Бре́стская о́бласть (''Brestskaya Oblast)'') is one of the regions of Belarus. Its administrative cent ...
, where a significant number of Belarusians lived, were transferred to Poland. Following the 1944 agreement on
population exchange between Poland and Soviet Belarus The population exchange between Poland and Soviet Belarus at the end of World War II (1944-1947) was based on an agreement signed on 9 September 1944 by the Byelorussian SSR with the newly-formed Polish Committee of National Liberation (PKWN). It ...
, on November 25, 1945, an additional agreement was signed in Warsaw by representatives of the government of the
Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic The Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (BSSR, or Byelorussian SSR; be, Беларуская Савецкая Сацыялістычная Рэспубліка, Bielaruskaja Savieckaja Sacyjalistyčnaja Respublika; russian: Белор ...
and the Government of the National Unity of the Republic of Poland on the registration and evacuation of the Belarusian population from the territory of Poland to the
BSSR The Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (BSSR, or Byelorussian SSR; be, Беларуская Савецкая Сацыялістычная Рэспубліка, Bielaruskaja Savieckaja Sacyjalistyčnaja Respublika; russian: Белор ...
and Polish population from the BSSR to the territory of Poland. Announcements on registration and extension of the evacuation until June 1946 were posted in Białystok and within the Voivodship. On August 12, 1944 the Polish delegation met for the first time with their Soviet counterparts, led by Markow - an opponent of any compromises. The Soviets brought a map in the scale of 1:1,500,000 to the meeting, along with a detailed border agreement, both documents bore the signature of Osóbka-Morawski on July 25, 1944. The delimitation continued on August 13. The Polish and Soviet delegations resolved the disputed issues regarding the scale of the maps and agreed a position on the manner of negotiating the points of contention presented by the Poles. The agreement between the PKWN and the
BSSR The Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (BSSR, or Byelorussian SSR; be, Беларуская Савецкая Сацыялістычная Рэспубліка, Bielaruskaja Savieckaja Sacyjalistyčnaja Respublika; russian: Белор ...
on the evacuation of Polish citizens from the territory of Belarus and the Belarusian population from the territory of Poland, concluded in September 1944, intensified the mixing of various ethnic groups in north-eastern Poland; and yet the war had already caused mass migrations of peoples throughout Europe. People often had to make immediate decisions about staying in their native villages, which were suddenly to be in another country or deciding to repatriate, when only very few Poles knew where the recently formed eastern border of the Białystok Voivodeship is. More than once it happened that the border has divided not only a village in half, but even the farm, so that the house is on the Polish side of the border and the
barn A barn is an agricultural building usually on farms and used for various purposes. In North America, a barn refers to structures that house livestock, including cattle and horses, as well as equipment and fodder, and often grain.Allen G. ...
on the Soviet (Belarussian) side. During the negotiations, Poland obtained favorable changes in shifting the border of the Białystok Voivodeship to the east to only 8 kilometers or less. Practically, diplomatic talks regarding the eastern border of the region ended on that day. The original intention of the border negotiations after August 16, 1945 was the exchange of territories between Poland and the USSR on the basis of complete equilibrium. However, as a result of negotiations along the entire eastern border, nine shifts of the border were made by 7 and 1/2 kilometers or less in favor of Poland, land was acquired with a total area of 799 square kilometers. The USSR obtained 11 shifts of 7 kilometers or less in its favor and acquired land with a total area of 565 square kilometers. Poland also undertook to transfer 234 square kilometers of land in
East Prussia East Prussia ; german: Ostpreißen, label=Low Prussian; pl, Prusy Wschodnie; lt, Rytų Prūsija was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1773 to 1829 and again from 1878 (with the Kingdom itself being part of the German Empire from 187 ...
to the USSR as compensation for 'unequal' exchange on the eastern border. In neighboring
Sokółka County __NOTOC__ Sokółka County ( pl, powiat sokólski) is a unit of territorial administration and local government (powiat) in Podlaskie Voivodeship, north-eastern Poland, on the border with Belarus. It was created on 1 January 1999 as a result of th ...
, the situation was the same. This county obtained a shift of the border from 200 to 3,000 meters to the east, most of the returned villages were ethnically Polish: Rogacze, Chworościany, Nowdziel, Szymaki, Nomiki, Minkowce, Łapicze, Gobiaty, Usnarz Górny, Jurowlany and
Rudaki Rudaki (also spelled Rodaki; fa, رودکی; 858 – 940/41) was a Persian poet, singer and musician, who served as a court poet under the Samanids. He is regarded as the first major poet to write in New Persian. Said to have composed more than ...
. The county also acquired the devastated and abandoned areas of the former Jewish settlement of Palestyna, and the village of Grzybowszczyzna inhabited by Belarusians. Bialystok County territorially benefited from the delimitation carried out by the sixth Subcommittee. First of all, in three locations, near Zaleszany,
Bobrowniki Bobrowniki (; german: Beberen) is a village in Lipno County, Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, in north-central Poland. It is the seat of the gmina (administrative district) called Gmina Bobrowniki. It lies approximately south-west of Lipno an ...
and Ozierany, the county obtained a strip with a width of 2 to 5 kilometers. However, this county was characterized by a much more diverse ethnic mosaic than the almost purely ethnic Polish
Augustów County __NOTOC__ Augustów County ( pl, powiat augustowski) is a unit of territorial administration and local government (powiat) in Podlaskie Voivodeship, north-eastern Poland, on the border with Belarus. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a resul ...
or the somewhat ethnically mixed
Sokółka County __NOTOC__ Sokółka County ( pl, powiat sokólski) is a unit of territorial administration and local government (powiat) in Podlaskie Voivodeship, north-eastern Poland, on the border with Belarus. It was created on 1 January 1999 as a result of th ...
. While Zaleszany was inhabited by the Polish population, Bobrowniki, Chomontowce, Wielkie Oziery and Małe Oziery were 70 to 90% Belarusian. In 1946, during the refinement of the state border between the USSR and Poland in the Belarusian-Polish section, Krynki, which was entirely granted to Poland, had a point that separated the border section under Sub-Committee V from the activities of Sub-Committee VI. Further, the border ran through areas which Poland lost due to the Soviet dictate, because they were located on the west side of the
Curzon Line The Curzon Line was a proposed demarcation line between the Second Polish Republic and the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Soviet Union, two new states emerging after World War I. It was first proposed by George Curzon, 1st Marque ...
. This shift was around 12 km (7 miles) in the vicinity of
Odelsk Odelsk ( be, Адэльск, translit=Adeĺsk; russian: Одельск; pl, Odelsk; yi, אודלסק) is an Agrotown located in Grodno District in Grodno Region, Belarus and the capital of the Odelsky Rural Council ( be, Адэльскі сел ...
, 15 km (10 miles) in the Łosośny area, 20 km (12 miles) in Biała Blota, and 15 km (10 miles) in the area of the
Augustów Canal be, Аўгустоўскі канал , image = Bulwar w Augustowie.JPG , image_caption = Augustów Canal in Augustów , original_owner = , engineer = Ignacy Prądzyński , other_engineer = Jan Chrzciciel de Grandvil ...
. Polish negotiators during the delimitation procedure realized that they were helpless in the face of these imposed arrangements and were only trying to introduce minor verifications for Poland. Among other things, near Odelsk, within the borders of Poland was the village of the villages of Klimówka, Minkowce, Nomiki, Taki, Tołcze, Szymaki of the
Hrodna District Grodno District or Hrodna District ( be, Гродзенскі раён; russian: Гродненский район) is a district (raion) of Grodno Region of Belarus. The administrative center is Grodno, which, however, does not form part of the ...
and the villages of Todorkowce and Chworosciany of the Sapotskin district were transferred to the
Polish People's Republic The Polish People's Republic ( pl, Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa, PRL) was a country in Central Europe that existed from 1947 to 1989 as the predecessor of the modern Republic of Poland. With a population of approximately 37.9 million nea ...
. Zubrzyca Wielka and Zubrzyca Mała were also recovered, but most of the
agricultural land Agricultural land is typically land ''devoted to'' agriculture, the systematic and controlled use of other organism, forms of lifeparticularly the rearing of livestock and production of cropsto produce food for humans. It is generally synonymous ...
s belonging to these villages remained on Belarusian side of the border. More to the north, in the area of the village of Nowrowol the border was moved 700-800 metres (about ½ mile) to the east, which also allowed the villages of Tołcze, Szymaki and Klimówka to be part of Poland. In the
Gmina Kuźnica __NOTOC__ Gmina Kuźnica is a rural gmina (administrative district) in Sokółka County, Podlaskie Voivodeship, in north-eastern Poland, on the border with Belarus. Its seat is the village of Kuźnica, which lies approximately north-east of Sokó ...
, the border line was moved 200-300 metres (about a furlong) to the east and at this place the border was cut across the tracks of the Białystok-Grodno railway line. Another modification of the border came into force by a treaty signed on May 15, 1948. Kowale, Nowodziel and Łosiniany returned as well according to the treaty In August 1948, the
TASS The Russian News Agency TASS (russian: Информацио́нное аге́нтство Росси́и ТАСС, translit=Informatsionnoye agentstvo Rossii, or Information agency of Russia), abbreviated TASS (russian: ТАСС, label=none) ...
agency announced a communication on the completion of delimitation of the border. However, the local authorities determined the final shape of the border and belonging of individual villages or their fragments for more than a year and a half. On the basis of documentation of the Belarusian side, officially announced on July 8, 1950, the Polish side obtained 30 villages as part of exchange and border corrections, while the Belarusian side obtained 12 villages. Also, many villages had been divided. Thereafter, and until now, the border between Poland and Belarus has never changed.


Impact of the new border

The impact of the new border demarcation had a negative influence on the infrastructure and economic activity in the Polish side of the border (Bialystok Voivodeship). this border has cut off or seriously complicated a large part of the rail, road and telecommunications networks. Mainly, but not only, in the counties of Augustów and Sokołka, the border ran against economic and economic logic. Thus, the Białystok-Augustów-Suwałki railway line would remain entirely within the territory of Poland if the Polish-Soviet Mixed Commission for Border Delimitation had drawn the border line as stipulated in the
Yalta Agreement The Yalta Conference (codenamed Argonaut), also known as the Crimea Conference, held 4–11 February 1945, was the World War II meeting of the heads of government of the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union to discuss the post ...
. For example, if Kiełbasy ( be, Келбаскі) which became part of the BSSR would have been stayed in Poland, this would significantly accelerate the post-war reconstruction from the damage because the
Polish State Railways (''PKP S.A.''; en, Polish State Railways, Inc.) is the dominant railway operator in Poland. The company was founded when the former state-owned enterprise was divided into several units based on the need for separation between infrastructure ...
did not resume traffic on the alternative route to
Suwałki Suwałki ( lt, Suvalkai; yi, סואוואַלק) is a city in northeastern Poland with a population of 69,206 (2021). It is the capital of Suwałki County and one of the most important centers of commerce in the Podlaskie Voivodeship. Suwałki ...
and Augustów, leading through the until recently German cities of
Ełk Ełk (; former pl, Łek; german: Lyck; Old Prussian: ''Luks''; lt, Lukas), also spelled Elk in English, is a small city in northeastern Poland with 61,677 inhabitants as of December 2021. It was assigned to Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship in 1999, ...
and Olecko until November 24, 1946. Alternatively, in order to avoid the economically absurd Białystok -Ełk-
Olecko Olecko (former since 1560, colloquially also , since 1928, lt, Alėcka) is a town in northeastern Poland, in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, located in Masuria near Ełk and Suwałki. It is situated at the mouth of the Lega river which fl ...
-Suwałki-Augustów railway connection, PKP had to build a new
railway line Rail terminology is a form of technical terminology. The difference between the American term ''railroad'' and the international term ''railway'' (used by the International Union of Railways and English-speaking countries outside the United Sta ...
(no. 40) from
Sokółka Sokółka (; lt, Sokulka, Sakalinė, be, Саку́лка, yi, סאקאלקע, Sokolke) is a town in northeastern Poland, seat of the Sokółka County in Podlaskie Voivodeship. It is a busy rail junction located on the international Warsaw–B ...
to
Dąbrowa Białostocka Dąbrowa Białostocka is a town in Sokółka County, Podlaskie Voivodeship, Poland. It used to be in Białystok Voivodeship (1975-1998). As of December 2021, the town has a population of 5,305. Notable people * Peter Sidorkiewicz, National Ho ...
. The new border also cut off various road connections, such as the main paved road from Nowy Dwór to
Sejny Sejny ( lt, Seinai) is a town in north-eastern Poland and the capital of Sejny County, in Podlaskie Voivodeship, close to the northern border with Lithuania and Belarus. It is located in the eastern part of the Suwałki Lake Area ( pl, Pojezi ...
. This road, remaining in Poland, would significantly facilitate transport between the north-eastern part of the Sokólka County and the south-eastern part of the Augustów County. The location of the new border significantly delayed the reconstruction of these areas, considering the fact that they were heavily
forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...
ed and that the main road from
Augustów Augustów (; lt, Augustavas, formerly known in English as ''Augustovo'' or ''Augustowo'')" is a city in north-eastern Poland with 29,729 inhabitants as of December 2021. It lies on the Netta River and the Augustów Canal. It is situated in the ...
to
Sejny Sejny ( lt, Seinai) is a town in north-eastern Poland and the capital of Sejny County, in Podlaskie Voivodeship, close to the northern border with Lithuania and Belarus. It is located in the eastern part of the Suwałki Lake Area ( pl, Pojezi ...
remained severely damaged and mined until June 1946. telephone and
telegraph Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas p ...
connections were of great importance. Again, the new frontier severed or significantly complicated the telephone and telegraph connections that had survived the six years of Soviet and German occupation. The telecommunication system suffered as well in May 1946 it was reported that telephone calls between Białystok and Augustów were connected through the exchanges in
Grajewo Grajewo (, yi, גראיעווע, translit=Grayavah) is a town in north-eastern Poland with 21,499 inhabitants (2016). It is situated in the Podlaskie Voivodeship (since 1999); previously, it was in Łomża Voivodeship (1975–1998). It is the ...
and Suwałki, which meant delays in connections from two to four hours. And just as PKP was forced to build a new section of the railway route, the Ministry of Posts and Telegraphs had to build a new telephone line between Białystok and Augustów solely because of the new border. Communication disruptions manifested themselves in many ways, often communes which formally belonged to one of the pre-war counties annexed by the USSR had no direct connections with the main centers of the new counties. For example,
Krynki Krynki ( be, Крынкі, translit=Krynki) is a town in northeastern Poland, located in Podlaskie Voivodeship along the border with Belarus. It lies approximately south-east of Sokółka and about east of the regional capital Białystok. H ...
and
Suchowola Suchowola (; lt, Suchovola, be, Сухаволя ''Suchavolja'') is a town in north-eastern Poland in Sokółka County, located on both banks of the Olszanka River. It is situated in the Podlaskie Voivodeship (since 1999), having previously be ...
could connect with Sokółka only through Białystok. The new border with the
Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
caused an increase in hidden costs in the case of communication, due to the effective failure or inaccessibility of the means of transport and communications: for example, following the demarcation of the border, the road from
Sidra Sidra may refer to: *Sidra (name) Places *Gulf of Sidra, a body of water in the Mediterranean Sea on the northern coast of Libya *Sidra, Libya, a Libyan port *Sidra, Sokółka County, a village in Poland *Gmina Sidra, a Polish administrative dis ...
to Strzelczyki (following the demarcation it is part of the BSSR) now ended six kilometers from the border in Staworowo, as there is no border crossing to the Soviet Union there. The railway line from
Dąbrowa Białostocka Dąbrowa Białostocka is a town in Sokółka County, Podlaskie Voivodeship, Poland. It used to be in Białystok Voivodeship (1975-1998). As of December 2021, the town has a population of 5,305. Notable people * Peter Sidorkiewicz, National Ho ...
to
Grodno Grodno (russian: Гродно, pl, Grodno; lt, Gardinas) or Hrodna ( be, Гродна ), is a city in western Belarus. The city is located on the Neman River, 300 km (186 mi) from Minsk, about 15 km (9 mi) from the Polish b ...
(the latter became part of the BSSR) had been cancelled. The situation had contributed to the delay in the reconstruction of the voivodeship from the war damage.


2021 dispute

In August 2021, a wave of illegal immigrants started fleeing through Belarus to Poland. Belarus was accused of
hybrid warfare Hybrid warfare is a theory of military strategy, first proposed by Frank Hoffman, which employs political warfare and blends conventional warfare, irregular warfare, and cyberwarfare with other influencing methods, such as fake news, diplomacy, ...
by orchestrating and supporting illegal crossing of the border in forest areas. Poland has recently reinforced the border with 1,000 men and is planning to build a border fence due to a massive influx of immigrants. The Poland–Belarus barrier was completed in June 2022. Over 2000 immigrants tried to illegally cross the Belarus border and 800 were successful, landing in state-run centres issued to aid them, many of which have been waiting near the border for more than a week. Poland's prime minister
Mateusz Morawiecki Mateusz Jakub Morawiecki (; born 20 June 1968) is a Polish economist, historian and politician who has served as prime minister of Poland since 2017. A member of Law and Justice (PiS), he previously served in the cabinet of prime minister Beata ...
stated that Poland must protect its borders and the people crossing the Polish—Belarusian border are being used by Lukashenko. On 25 August 2021, the
European Court of Human Rights The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR or ECtHR), also known as the Strasbourg Court, is an international court of the Council of Europe which interprets the European Convention on Human Rights. The court hears applications alleging that a ...
(ECHR) summoned Poland and
Latvia Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...
to provide the migrants "food, water, clothing, adequate medical care and, if possible, temporary shelter", according to a statement from the court. "The measure will apply for a period of three weeks from today until 15 September 2021 inclusive", with the ECHR judge citing the
European Convention on Human Rights The European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR; formally the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms) is an international convention to protect human rights and political freedoms in Europe. Drafted in 1950 by t ...
, while stating that neither country was ordered to allow the migrants through the border. On 24 November 2021, the ''
Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization, headquartered in New York City, that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. The group pressures governments, policy makers, companies, and individual human r ...
'' reported that thousand of people were stuck at the border of Belarus and Poland in circumstances that violated human rights and put their lives at risk. Polish officials pushed back those who try to cross while Belarusian officials beat and detained those who return. People have spent days or weeks in the open on the border, without shelter or access to basic humanitarian services, including food and water, resulting in deaths. On 15 February 2022,
OHCHR The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, commonly known as the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) or the United Nations Human Rights Office, is a department of the Secretariat of the United Nat ...
reported that human rights defenders, including media workers and interpreters face threats and intimidation at the border with Belarus. The organization called on Poland authorities to investigate all allegations of harassment and grant access to journalists and humanitarian workers to the border area ensuring that they can work freely and safely.


Border crossings


See also

* * * * * *


References


Further reading

*


External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Belarus-Poland border 1946 establishments in Belarus 1946 establishments in Poland European Union external borders 1946 in international relations Borders of Belarus Borders of Poland International borders