Did Volhynian Czechs fare better in Poland or in the pre-Stalin Soviet Union?

[Futurist]

Sort of a random question, but I figured I might as well ask it here: I know that the Volhynian Czechs were divided by the 1921 Riga Treaty that made peace between Poland and the Bolsheviks. Some ended up in Poland, while others ended up in Soviet Ukraine. Basically, I was wondering where conditions for the Volhynian Czechs were more favorable--in interwar Poland or in the pre-Stalin Soviet Union. I am specifically talking about the pre-Stalin Soviet Union here because obviously life in Poland was much better for Volhynian Czechs in comparison to life in the Stalin-era Soviet Union with its giant famines and giant purges.

I also wonder if Poland's Volhynian Czech population had any effect on its relationship with Czechoslovakia, which I know was strained in the interwar era due to the Teschen issue.

Anyway, thoughts?

[wm]

I don't quite believe anybody enjoyed life in a badly managed totalitarian country, where scientific Atheism was the mandatory religion.

[Futurist]

Just how badly managed was the Soviet Union in the 1920s--after the famines of 1921-1922, I mean?

[Cekekb]

They were certainly living under much better conditions in Poland - there they could at least lead fairly normal life. Given their numbers and socioeconomic status they would have no effect on official Polish policy in any way. On the other hand ups and downs in CZ-PL relationship would somewhat affect attitudes of Polish authorities and general population - mostly due to rhetoric appearing in press - but not in dramatic way. Between 1928-35 there was even Czech deputy in the Sejm elected on list of pro-goverment bloc.

In the USSR on the other hand:
+ Kharkov 1931: 10 sentenced to death a 11 sentenced to prison for their part in "reactionary military nationalistic organization, espionage and religious agitation"
+ Zhytomyr 1938: 78 executed for membership in reactionary Czech military organization

[Futurist]

What was their socioeconomic status? Poor farmers?

Looks like life for them in the Soviet Union really sucked! Did Poland ever try making a deal with the Soviet Union to allow the remaining Volhynian Czechs and Volhynian Germans to resettle in Poland? That lifetime could have really come in handy for some of them.

[wm]

And why not Czechoslovakia or Germany?
Actually Germany did, the second supplementary protocol of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact secured that.

[Futurist]

And why not Czechoslovakia or Germany?

Because Poland already had a huge part of their community, so why not reunite the rest of their community under Polish rule?

[gebhk]

Looks like life for them in the Soviet Union really sucked

Life for pretty much everyone in the SU sucked, so that is hardly surprising! That aside, can't see the Soviet Union even discussing such a move - it was tantamount to admitting that life in the Soviet Union sucked rather than being what Soviet propaganda wanted us to believe: a workers paradise which everyone aspired to join not leave.

Conversation my Grandfather had whilst in Soviet captivity, with a Soviet officer who had been in Poland in 1939, after several too many cups:
SO: "Tell me what life was like in Poland"
Granddad trying to be politic: "Well, it varied, depending on who one was....."
SO: "Oh please, don't be coy. I'm not trying to trip you up. I'm about to be posted to the front, so I don't give a ....! You know as well as I do that the poorest c... lived better in Poland than most of us do here. Why do you think those of us who have been there and seen how it really was, are being sent to the front to be exterminated by the Fins?"

[Biber]

Where were the main Czech settlements/colonies (if there were such things) in Ukrainian Volhynia at the beginning of the war?

[Cekekb]

Where were the main Czech settlements/colonies (if there were such things) in Ukrainian Volhynia at the beginning of the war?

Somewhat more than 30 000 in Poland and about 15 000 in Soviet Ukraine.

[Biber]

Somewhat more than 30 000 in Poland and about 15 000 in Soviet Ukraine.

Thank you, but where were Czech settlements in Soviet Ukraine?

[Biber]

Somewhat more than 30 000 in Poland and about 15 000 in Soviet Ukraine.

Thank you, but where were Czech settlements in Soviet Ukraine?

[wm]

Here, with the border in the middle:

The Czech agricultural colonies were actually a Czarist government idea, which included reduced land prices, tax abatements, exemption from military service.
By 1900 up to 100,000 Jews were settled in such colonies in Russia too.

[Biber]

Thank you wm. You are a fount of knowledge!

[Futurist]

Looks like life for them in the Soviet Union really sucked

Life for pretty much everyone in the SU sucked, so that is hardly surprising! That aside, can't see the Soviet Union even discussing such a move - it was tantamount to admitting that life in the Soviet Union sucked rather than being what Soviet propaganda wanted us to believe: a workers paradise which everyone aspired to join not leave.

Conversation my Grandfather had whilst in Soviet captivity, with a Soviet officer who had been in Poland in 1939, after several too many cups:
SO: "Tell me what life was like in Poland"
Granddad trying to be politic: "Well, it varied, depending on who one was....."
SO: "Oh please, don't be coy. I'm not trying to trip you up. I'm about to be posted to the front, so I don't give a ....! You know as well as I do that the poorest c... lived better in Poland than most of us do here. Why do you think those of us who have been there and seen how it really was, are being sent to the front to be exterminated by the Fins?"

The Soviet Union was willing to allow some of their Jews to emigrate in the 1970s and early 1980s, so it's not completely impossible.