icular ly ▁the ▁wealth y ▁ones ▁with ▁much ▁land ) ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁town spe ople ▁assim il ated ▁into ▁Polish ▁culture , ▁while ▁the ▁Polish ▁pe asant ▁sett lers ▁assim il ated ▁into ▁the ▁native ▁culture . ▁ ▁In ▁Ukrain ian ▁lands ▁further ▁east , ▁near ▁the ▁K iev ▁region , ▁the ▁first ▁Polish ▁sett lers ▁were ▁prisoners ▁of ▁war ▁who ▁were ▁captured ▁by ▁Y ar oslav ▁the ▁W ise ▁during ▁his ▁war ▁against ▁Poland ▁in ▁ 1 0 3 0 - 1 0 3 1 ▁and ▁settled ▁on ▁lands ▁near ▁K iev , ▁where ▁they ▁became ▁far mers ▁and ▁assim il ated ▁into ▁the ▁local ▁population . ▁ ▁More ▁Polish ▁sett lers ▁arrived ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 2 th ▁century , ▁resulting ▁in ▁the ▁establishment ▁of ▁a ▁Roman ▁Catholic ▁mission ▁in ▁K iev . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁Time ▁of ▁the ▁Polish – L ith uan ian ▁Commonwealth ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 6 th ▁and ▁ 1 7 th ▁centuries ▁Polish ▁k ings , ▁in ▁particular ▁Stephen ▁B á th ory ▁and ▁Sig ism und ▁III ▁V asa , ▁spons ored ▁large - scale ▁Polish ▁colon ization ▁of ▁central ▁and ▁eastern ▁Ukrain ian ▁regions . ▁ ▁Polish ▁magn ates ▁were ▁given ▁large ▁tract s ▁of ▁sp ars ely ▁settled ▁lands , ▁while ▁Polish ▁pet ty ▁gent ry ▁managed ▁the ▁est ates ▁and ▁served ▁as ▁soldiers . ▁ ▁Ser fs ▁were ▁ent iced ▁to ▁move ▁into ▁these ▁territ ories ▁by ▁a ▁temporary ▁ 2 0 ▁year ▁exem ption ▁from ▁ser f