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