▁a ▁total ▁of ▁ 7 8 2 , 3 3 4 ▁Pol es ▁in ▁the ▁USS R . ▁ ▁The ▁largest ▁concentration ▁of ▁Pol es ▁was ▁in ▁what ▁is ▁now ▁modern - day ▁West ▁Ukraine , ▁where ▁according ▁to ▁the ▁Soviet ▁census ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 6 ▁ 4 7 6 , 4 3 5 ▁Pol es ▁lived . ▁Those ▁estimates ▁are ▁considered ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁lower ed ▁by ▁Soviet ▁officials . ▁Church ▁and ▁independent ▁estimates ▁show ▁ ▁estimates ▁of ▁ 6 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁to ▁ 7 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁Pol es ▁living ▁in ▁that ▁area . ▁ ▁This ▁suggests ▁that ▁the ▁total ▁Polish ▁population ▁of ▁the ▁USS R ▁was ▁in ▁excess ▁of ▁ 1 , 0 0 0 , 0 0 0 . ▁ ▁Initial ly ▁the ▁S ovi ets ▁purs ued ▁a ▁policy ▁where ▁the ▁local ▁national ▁language ▁was ▁used ▁as ▁a ▁tool ▁for ▁er adic ation ▁of ▁national ▁identity ▁in ▁favour ▁of ▁" comm un ist ▁education ▁of ▁masses ". ▁In ▁the ▁case ▁of ▁the ▁Pol es ▁this ▁meant ▁a ▁goal ▁of ▁Soviet isation ▁of ▁the ▁Polish ▁population . ▁However ▁this ▁proved ▁extremely ▁difficult ▁as ▁the ▁Soviet ▁commun ists ▁themselves ▁real ised ▁that ▁the ▁Pol es ▁were ▁en ▁mas se ▁opposed ▁to ▁commun ist ▁ide ology , ▁seeing ▁it ▁as ▁host ile ▁to ▁Polish ▁identity ▁and ▁their ▁pre domin ant ▁Roman ▁Catholic ▁religion . ▁The ▁policy ▁of ▁religious ▁disc rim ination , ▁pl under ▁and ▁terror ▁further ▁strength ened ▁Polish ▁resistance ▁to