0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁people ▁from ▁Polish ▁areas ▁were ▁exp elled ▁by ▁the ▁Soviet ▁authorities . ▁ ▁Following ▁the ▁collect iv ization ▁of ▁agricult ure ▁under ▁Joseph ▁St alin , ▁both ▁autonom ies ▁were ▁abol ished ▁and ▁their ▁populations ▁were ▁subsequently ▁deport ed ▁to ▁Kaz akh stan ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 4 – 1 9 3 8 . ▁Many ▁people ▁star ved ▁during ▁the ▁deport ation ▁and ▁after , ▁since ▁the ▁deport ed ▁were ▁moved ▁to ▁sp ars ely ▁populated ▁areas , ▁un prep ared ▁for ▁migration , ▁lack ing ▁basic ▁facilities ▁and ▁infrastr ucture . ▁The ▁surv iv ors ▁were ▁under ▁the ▁super vision ▁of ▁the ▁O G PU / N K VD , ▁cru elly ▁pun ished ▁for ▁any ▁sign ▁of ▁dis content . ▁▁ 2 1 , 0 0 0 ▁Pol es ▁died ▁during ▁the ▁Hol od om or . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 6 ▁the ▁Pol es ▁were ▁deport ed ▁from ▁the ▁territ ories ▁of ▁Bel arus ▁and ▁Ukraine ▁adjacent ▁to ▁the ▁state ▁border ▁( the ▁first ▁recorded ▁deport ation ▁of ▁a ▁whole ▁eth nic ▁group ▁in ▁the ▁USS R ). ▁T ens ▁of ▁thousands ▁of ▁eth nic ▁Pol es ▁became ▁vict ims ▁of ▁the ▁Great ▁Pur ge ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 7 – 1 9 3 8 ▁( see ▁Polish ▁operation ▁of ▁the ▁NK VD ). ▁The ▁Commun ist ▁Party ▁of ▁Poland ▁was ▁also ▁dec im ated ▁in ▁the ▁Great ▁Pur ge ▁and ▁was ▁dis band ed ▁in ▁ 1 9 3