Poleszuks as an ethnic community

The contemporary Poleszuk community is a poorly documented ethnic group with a weak sense of national identity. This study aims to describe the characteristic features and the culture of this unique ethnic community. It discusses the way of life, the typical activities and the relations binding the indigenous people of the former Polesie voivodeship. By living in harmony with nature and overcoming the hardships of daily life, the Poleszuks formed a unique and separate ethnic enclave. Despite its scientific inaccuracy, the term „local” has a wealth of meanings that encompass tradition, language, customs, material culture, religion, way of life, cultural values and world views. The presented discussion is based in its entirety on the work of interwar ethnographer and sociologist Józef Obrębski. His findings are an excellent venture point for a discussion on the inhabitants of Polesie whose descendants have been nearly completely assimilated and today, they identify mainly with the Belarusians, the Ukrainians or the Poles.