During his visit in St. Petersburg Senate speaker Bogdan Borusewicz has met with the heads of Polish minority organizations in Russia.

The Polish parliamentary leader voiced appreciation for the devotion and attachment of Poles living in Russia, sometimes even despite not knowing the language of their ancestors: "They come up and try to talk with me in Polish. This is the elite of people of polish origin. Most Poles in Russia simply lost their native language. Nevertheless, they feel Polish and stress this continuously. We consider them our compatriots and try to help them as much as possible in maintaining contact, regardless whether they speak Polish or only Russian."

The Polish House in St. Petersburg was opened by the Russian and Polish First Ladies two years ago. Yet due to an ambitious program it is already experiencing problems with accommodating all activities. That is why the Polish Senate speaker addressed the city authorities with a request for assistance in finding additional quarters.

Bogdan Borusewicz spoke highly of cooperation with the local council representatives. Unfortunately what remains a frequent obstacle in expanding the offer, not only of the Polish House in St. Petersburg, is lack of sufficient funding, remarked the Senate speaker.

SS