▁Aut onom ous ▁District ▁is ▁a ▁territory ▁with ▁largest ▁eth nic ▁Pol es ▁concentration ▁in ▁Ukraine , ▁the ▁former ▁Polish ▁Aut onom ous ▁District ▁capital ▁D ov by sh ▁population ▁is ▁pre domin antly ▁Polish ▁and ▁Catholic . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 7 - 8 ▁Polish ▁Operation ▁of ▁the ▁NK VD , ▁ 5 5 , 9 2 8 ▁people ▁were ▁arrested ▁in ▁the ▁Ukrain ian ▁SS R , ▁of ▁which ▁ 4 7 , 3 2 7 ▁were ▁shot ▁and ▁ 8 , 8 6 0 1 ▁were ▁sent ▁to ▁g ul ags . ▁Not ▁all ▁of ▁those ▁arrested ▁were ▁Polish . ▁The ▁Polish ▁population ▁in ▁the ▁Ukrain ian ▁SS R ▁fell ▁from ▁ 4 1 7 , 6 1 3 ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 7 ▁to ▁ 3 5 7 , 7 1 0 ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 9 . ▁ ▁That ▁number ▁has ▁been ▁stead ily ▁decre asing ▁over ▁the ▁past ▁half ▁a ▁century ; ▁the ▁cens uses ▁of ▁Soviet ▁Ukraine ▁gave ▁the ▁following ▁numbers : ▁ 1 9 5 9 ▁– ▁ 3 6 3 , 0 0 0 ; ▁ 1 9 7 0 ▁– ▁ 2 9 5 , 0 0 0 ; ▁ 1 9 7 9 ▁– ▁ 2 5 8 , 0 0 0 ▁and ▁ 1 9 8 9 ▁– ▁ 2 1 9 , 0 0 0 . ▁This ▁decl ine ▁can ▁be ▁explained ▁due ▁to ▁policies ▁of ▁Soviet ization , ▁which ▁aim ed ▁to ▁destroy ▁Polish