1951 Polish–Soviet territorial exchange

The areas ceded included the city of Ustrzyki Dolne and the villages of Czarna (Ukrainian: Чорна Chorna), Shevchenko (which later regained its prewar Polish name of Lutowiska in 1957), Krościenko, Bandrów Narodowy, Bystre, and Liskowate.

[citation needed] As part of the exchange, Poland relinquished a portion of the Lublin Voivodeship, which included the cities of Bełz (Ukrainian: Белз Belz), Uhnów (Угнів Uhniv), Krystynopol (Червоноград Chervonohrad), and Waręż (Варяж, Variazh).

Initially, the Soviets proposed taking almost all of the Tomaszowski and Hrubieszowski powiats, including the bend of the Bug River, while highlighting the rich forests and oil in the Bieszczady Mountains area as compensation.

Stanisław Leszczycki, a well-known geographer serving as the Polish deputy minister of foreign affairs at the time, discreetly advised against such an exchange.

Despite Leszczycki being dismissed from his post at the end of 1950, the deal was ultimately limited to the Bug River knee, and Poland would receive a portion of the Bieszczady Mountains, including the town of Ustrzyki Dolne.

[5] In response to the Polish negotiators, Ukrainian deputy prime minister Leonid Korniyets downplayed the value of the territory to be ceded to the Soviets, citing poor survey results, despite coal deposits being identified before the war.

When Aleksander Zawadzki expressed concern that the railway line to Ustrzyki Dolne, which would be transferred to Poland, would run through the territory of the Ukrainian SSR, the Soviet representatives did not react at all.

[2] According to the agreement, all real estate left behind in the exchanged territories, including infrastructure, buildings, farms, and rail lines, automatically transferred to the new owner, and both sides renounced any future claims.

Although the territory ceded to Poland was roughly equal to the land transferred to the Soviet Union, the area surrounding Ustrzyki Dolne lacked industry, natural resources, and fertile soil.

These resources were accurately depicted on geological maps, and their production of 85 tons per day had no significant impact on Poland's raw material imports.

[2] In November 1952, the Soviet Union proposed annexing an even more significant portion of Polish territory in the same area, measuring 1,300 km2 (502 sq mi) and inhabited by over 100,000 people.