▁legal ▁noble ▁status ▁by ▁the ▁Russian ▁government . ▁These ▁Polish ▁nobles , ▁leg ally ▁reduced ▁to ▁the ▁status ▁of ▁pe as ants , ▁often ▁assim il ated ▁into ▁the ▁Ukrain ian ▁language ▁and ▁culture . ▁ ▁Many ▁of ▁the ▁poor er ▁Polish ▁nobles ▁who ▁became ▁Ukrain ian ized ▁in ▁language , ▁culture ▁and ▁political ▁loyal ty ▁constit uted ▁an ▁important ▁element ▁of ▁the ▁growing ▁Ukrain ian ▁national ▁movement . ▁Ukrain ian - spe aking ▁Pol es ▁from ▁the ▁Russian ▁emp ire ▁include ▁Ukrain ian ▁political ▁the or ist ▁V y aches lav ▁L yp yn sky , ▁historian ▁and ▁nin ete enth ▁century ▁leader ▁of ▁the ▁Ukrain ian ▁national ▁aw ak ening ▁Vol od ym yr ▁Anton ov ych ▁( W łod z im ierz ▁Anton ow icz ), ▁and ▁painter ▁Kaz imir ▁Male v ich . ▁ ▁Due ▁to ▁assim ilation , ▁whereas ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁an nex ation ▁of ▁Ukrain ian ▁lands ▁by ▁Russia ▁in ▁ 1 7 9 5 ▁ 1 0 % ▁of ▁the ▁population ▁were ▁Pol es , ▁in ▁spite ▁of ▁on going ▁migration ▁of ▁Pol es ▁from ▁central ▁Poland ▁into ▁Ukrain ian ▁lands , ▁by ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁nin ete enth ▁century ▁only ▁three ▁percent ▁of ▁the ▁total ▁population ▁of ▁these ▁territ ories ▁reported ▁that ▁Polish ▁was ▁their ▁first ▁language . ▁ ▁Pol es ▁in ▁Austria - H ung ary ▁( E astern ▁Gal icia ) ▁ ▁Appro xim ately ▁ 2 1 % ▁of ▁the ▁population ▁of ▁Ukrain ian ▁territory ▁an nex ed