▁lands ▁made ▁around ▁ 3 5 % ▁of ▁total ▁population , ▁around ▁ 3 ▁million ▁people . ▁ ▁This ▁large ▁Polish ▁population ▁dram atically ▁decre ased ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 3 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 4 0 s ▁after ▁the ▁Soviet ▁occupation ▁of ▁eastern ▁Poland ▁( see : ▁Soviet ▁invasion ▁of ▁Poland ), ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁Soviet ▁mass ▁deport ation ▁of ▁Pol es ▁to ▁Si ber ia ▁and ▁other ▁eastern ▁regions ▁of ▁the ▁USS R ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁a ▁campaign ▁of ▁eth nic ▁cle ans ing , ▁carried ▁out ▁by ▁Ukrain ian ▁national ists ▁( see : ▁Mass ac res ▁of ▁Pol es ▁in ▁Vol h yn ia ▁and ▁Eastern ▁Gal icia ). ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁Ukrain ian ▁SS R ▁east ▁of ▁the ▁Z bru ch ▁river , ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 6 ▁there ▁were ▁ 4 7 6 . 4 3 5 ▁Pol es , ▁which ▁was ▁ 1 . 6 % ▁of ▁total ▁population ▁of ▁Soviet ▁Ukraine . ▁Of ▁these , ▁ 4 8 . 8 % ▁listed ▁Ukrain ian ▁as ▁their ▁native ▁language . ▁In ▁the ▁Ukrain ian ▁SS R ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁Polish ▁Aut onom ous ▁District # M arch le w sz czy zna , ▁near ▁Zh yt om yr , ▁created ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 6 , ▁but ▁it ▁was ▁dis band ed ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 5 ▁and ▁its ▁Polish ▁inhabitants ▁were ▁either ▁murder ed ▁or ▁deport ed ▁to ▁Kaz akh stan . ▁Actually , ▁the ▁former ▁Polish