Polskie poselstwo w Kijowie (październik 1918 - luty 1919) w świetle ukraińskich archiwaliów

<p>The article describes the efforts of the Regency Council of the Kingdom of Poland to establish diplomatic relations with the Ukrainian State that emerged on the territory of the Russian Empire. They were successful only in October, when the Polish legation led by Stanisław Wańkowicz came to Kiev. It worked until the end of January 1919, when diplomatic corps were evacuated in the face of a military threat pose to the capital by Bolsheviks.</p><p>On the basis of archival material produced in contacts with the Polish legation by the Ukrainian ministry of foreign affairs (of hetman P. Skoropadskis Ukrainian State as well as an early period of the Directorate of the Ukrainian Peoples Republic) the article presents the organization of the Polish diplomatic post and its main activities. One of the most important acvtivities were consular services provided for people of the Polish nationality: issuing the documents, helping refugees and protecting former soldiers and officers of the tsarist army against the conscription. The author argues that potential benefits of establishment the full scale diplomatic relations with arising Polish state were underestimated by the Ukrainian side. Because of that Kiev lost the chance of regulation the mutual relations. It would be done after a dozen or so months but with less different provisions than Warsaw was able to accept in 1918.