The Evolution of Educational Policy in Volhynia in the First Third of the 19th Century: Between Szlachta Autonomy and Imperial Control

This article presents a comprehensive study of educational policy in Volhynia within the Russian Empire during the first third of the 19th century. It further develops the conclusion that in the annexed territories, a well-established Polish-language educational network of various types and levels had emerged, which rested upon szlachta traditions, independent financing, and authority among the local elite. Drawing on archival sources, the study specifies the charitable activities of the Polish community in the sphere of education. In the conditions of lost statehood, this philanthropy served as a means of preserving the national identity of the Polish szlachta. A particular role in the development of this system was played by patriotically minded figures (Adam Czartoryski and Tadeusz Czacki), who rallied nationally conscious compatriots around themselves to ensure that, in the absence of statehood, the younger generation would not lose its connection to Polish culture and education. Using the example of land surveyors' service, the article demonstrates how the state authorities attempted to use the established educational system for training personnel for the civil service. After the suppression of the November Uprising, imperial policy shifted toward a course of systematic Russification: the closure of Polish schools, the prohibition of Polish as the language of instruction, and the tightening of control over students. It is concluded that educational policy in Volhynia evolved from tolerance to the deliberate dismantling of szlachta education, and that education itself served not only as a tool of cultural reproduction but also as an arena of political confrontation between the imperial center and the regional elite.