▁of ▁belonging ▁to ▁the ▁Polish ▁nation . ▁During ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁a ▁self ▁design ation , ▁often ▁represented ▁using ▁a ▁Latin ▁formula ▁g ente ▁Lith uan us , ▁nation e ▁Pol on us ▁( L ith uan ian ▁by ▁birth , ▁Polish ▁by ▁national ity ) ▁was ▁common ▁in ▁the ▁Lith u ania ▁Pro per ▁and ▁former ▁Sam og it ian ▁E ld ership . ▁With ▁Polish ▁culture ▁developing ▁into ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁primary ▁cent ers ▁of ▁resistance ▁to ▁the ▁Russian ▁Empire , ▁Pol on ization ▁in ▁some ▁regions ▁actually ▁strength ened ▁in ▁response ▁to ▁official ▁policies ▁of ▁Russ ification . ▁An ▁even ▁larger ▁percentage ▁of ▁Lith uan ian ▁nob ility ▁was ▁Pol on ised ▁and ▁adopted ▁Polish ▁identity ▁by ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 th ▁century . ▁A ▁Russian ▁census ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 7 ▁showed ▁that ▁ 2 7 . 7 % ▁of ▁nob ility ▁living ▁within ▁modern ▁Lith u ania ' s ▁borders ▁recognized ▁Lith uan ian ▁as ▁the ▁mother ▁language . ▁This ▁number ▁was ▁even ▁higher ▁in ▁K ov no ▁Governor ate , ▁where ▁ 3 6 . 6 % ▁of ▁nob ility ▁identified ▁the ▁Lith uan ian ▁language ▁as ▁their ▁mother ▁language . ▁ ▁Most ▁descend ants ▁of ▁the ▁Lith uan ian ▁nob ility ▁remained ▁ ▁ill - dis posed ▁to ▁the ▁modern ▁national ▁movements ▁of ▁Lith u ania ▁and ▁Bel arus ▁and ▁fought ▁for ▁Poland ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 8 - 1 9 2 0 . ▁The ▁land own ing ▁nobles