▁property ▁often ▁seized ▁by ▁Pr uss ian ▁authorities . ▁The ▁pre val ent ▁Catholic ism ▁among ▁Pol es ▁was ▁st ig mat ised . ▁The ▁Polish ▁language ▁was ▁per sec uted ▁at ▁all ▁levels . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁Polish – Russ ian ▁War ▁in ▁early ▁ 1 6 0 0 s , ▁Poland ▁was ▁greatly ▁ant agon ized ▁by ▁the ▁Rus si ans ▁as ▁the ▁cause ▁of ▁cha os ▁and ▁ty ran ny ▁in ▁Russia . ▁The ▁future ▁House ▁of ▁Roman ov , ▁who ▁would ▁found ▁the ▁Russian ▁Empire ▁after ▁taken ▁power ▁from ▁the ▁R ur ik ▁dynast y , ▁used ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁dist ort ion ▁activities , ▁describing ▁Pol es ▁as ▁back ward , ▁cruel ▁and ▁heart less , ▁pra ising ▁the ▁re bell ion ▁against ▁Pol es ; ▁and ▁heavily ▁centered ▁around ▁the ▁Orth odox ▁belief . ▁When ▁Ts ard om ▁of ▁Russia ▁inv aded ▁Poland ▁at ▁the ▁Rus so - Pol ish ▁war ▁of ▁ 1 6 5 0 s , ▁the ▁Rus si ans ▁caused ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁at roc ities , ▁and ▁destroyed ▁most ▁of ▁Eastern ▁Poland , ▁sometimes ▁joining ▁destruction ▁with ▁its ▁Ukrain ian ▁al ly ▁led ▁by ▁Boh dan ▁K hm el ny t sky ▁and ▁the ▁Sw edes ▁in ▁the ▁parallel ▁Swedish ▁invasion . ▁The ▁war ▁was ▁held ▁as ▁a ▁Russian ▁triumph ▁for ▁its ▁attempt ▁to ▁destroy ▁Poland . ▁ ▁Sweden , ▁which ▁developed ▁anti - Pol ish ▁sentiment ▁due ▁to ▁previous ▁Polish – S wed ish ▁wars ▁in ▁hope ▁to ▁gain ▁territorial ▁and