w ska ▁was ▁an ▁exception al ▁case ▁– ▁she ▁became ▁a ▁Soviet ▁citiz en ▁and ▁did ▁not ▁return ▁after ▁the ▁war . ▁▁ 1 9 4 7 – 1 9 9 1 ▁The ▁Polish ▁minor ity ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁few ▁whose ▁numbers ▁decre ased ▁over ▁time , ▁according ▁to ▁official ▁statistics . ▁There ▁was ▁also ▁the ▁rep atri ation ▁of ▁Pol es ▁( 1 9 5 5 – 1 9 5 9 ). ▁ ▁After ▁ 1 9 8 9 , ▁Pol es ▁who ▁surv ived ▁in ▁Kaz akh stan ▁started ▁to ▁em igr ate ▁due ▁to ▁national ▁t ensions , ▁mainly ▁to ▁Russia ▁and , ▁supported ▁by ▁an ▁imm igration ▁society , ▁to ▁Poland . ▁The ▁number ▁remaining ▁is ▁between ▁ 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁and ▁ 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁dissol ution ▁of ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 1 , ▁the ▁following ▁post - S ov iet ▁countries ▁have ▁significant ▁Polish ▁minor ities : ▁ ▁Lith u ania , ▁around ▁ 2 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁( 7 % ▁of ▁population ), ▁see ▁also ▁Polish ▁minor ity ▁in ▁Lith u ania , ▁Bel arus , ▁at ▁least ▁ 4 2 0 , 0 0 0 ▁( al most ▁ 4 . 5 % ▁of ▁population ), ▁see ▁also ▁Polish ▁minor ity ▁in ▁Bel arus , ▁Ukraine , ▁at ▁least ▁ 1 5 0 , 0 0 0 , ▁see ▁also ▁Polish ▁minor ity ▁in ▁Ukraine ,