▁with ▁the ▁problem ▁of ▁national ism , ▁which ▁would ▁tend ▁to ▁pull ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁apart . ▁Mill ions ▁of ▁Pol es , ▁Lat vi ans , ▁Georg ians , ▁Uk ra ini ans ▁and ▁other ▁eth nic ▁minor ities ▁were ▁deport ed ▁to ▁Gul ags ▁in ▁Si ber ia . ▁( Pre viously , ▁following ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 9 ▁an nex ation ▁of ▁eastern ▁Poland , ▁thousands ▁of ▁Polish ▁Army ▁officers , ▁including ▁res erv ists , ▁had ▁been ▁executed ▁in ▁the ▁spring ▁of ▁ 1 9 4 0 , ▁in ▁what ▁came ▁to ▁be ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Kat yn ▁mass acre .) ▁In ▁addition , ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 1 , ▁ 1 9 4 3 ▁and ▁ 1 9 4 4 ▁several ▁whole ▁national ities ▁had ▁been ▁deport ed ▁to ▁Si ber ia , ▁Kaz akh stan , ▁and ▁Central ▁Asia , ▁including , ▁among ▁others , ▁the ▁Vol ga ▁Germ ans , ▁Che ch ens , ▁Ing ush , ▁B alk ars , ▁Crime an ▁Tat ars , ▁and ▁M esk het ian ▁Tur ks . ▁ ▁Though ▁these ▁groups ▁were ▁later ▁polit ically ▁" reh abil itated ", ▁some ▁were ▁never ▁given ▁back ▁their ▁former ▁autonom ous ▁regions .. Pop ulation ▁transfer ▁in ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union , ▁Wikipedia . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁same ▁time , ▁in ▁a ▁famous ▁Vict ory ▁Day ▁to ast ▁in ▁May ▁ 1 9 4 5 , ▁St alin ▁ext ol led ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁the ▁Russian ▁people ▁in ▁the ▁defeat