The names of the streets in Białystok, capital of Podlaskie Voivodeship in north-east Poland are result of historical, political, geographical and symbolical reasons. Throughout its history, the city was ruled by different countries and political regimes which led to various streets to be renamed more than once. Streets in Białystok, as elsewhere in Poland can be categorized by different topics, such as streets named after persons, historical events, geographical places and symbolic names.
Overview The main arteries in Białystok are often named after important persons and historical events. Some of the persons are connected with national events while others closely related with local history. Examples of streets named after persons and events at the national level include:
Piłsudskiego - Polish politician, founder of the Second Polish Republic Mickiewicza - Polish revolutionary Sienkiewicza - Polish revolutionary 11 Listopada - the date marking the National Independence Day of Poland Marii-Sklodowskiej - Polish scientist Wyszynskiego - Polish cardinal Legionowa - commemorating the Polish Legions in World War I Jana Pawła II - Polish Pope of the Roman Catholic Church
Other streets are named after persons connected to the local history and events:
Branickiego - named after Jan Klemens Branicki, a local ruler Elektryczna - named after the first powerplant in Białystok which was situated in the crossroad of Elektryczna and Branickiego streets. Kaczorowskiego - named after president Ryszard Kaczorowski who was spending his childhood in Piaski District of the city. Liniarskiego - named after Władysław Liniarski who fought in the Home Army in Białystok area Marjańskiego - named after Józef Marjański who fought in the 1920 Battle of Białystok. Malmeda - named after Icchok Malmed who was prisoned in the Białystok Ghetto and killed German officers. Sosnowskiego - named after architect Oskar Sosnowski who planned among others Św. Rocha Church. Szafranowskiego - named after Zygmunt Szafranowski Polish officer who helped organizing the defense of the city in the onset of World War II. Zamenhofa - named after L. L. Zamenhof who created esperanto and was born at this street. Plac Zbigniew Baum - named after a city hall official and architect who was behind the plan to extend Bialowny street (Mazowieckiego street). Skwer Chajki Grossman - named after Haika Grossman, a prisoner of Białystok Ghetto and one of the leading participants of the Białystok Ghetto uprising.
Some streets preserve in their name their original purpose, as a road leading to other places:
Suraska - remnant of the ancient way which led to Suraż. Wasiłkowska - named after the road leading to Wasilków. Pałacowa - the road which led to Branicki Palace. Towarowa - due to the street running in parallel to the Białystok Fabryczny Train Station, which was used to transport freight. Skrajna - the old road to Wysoki Stoczek passed there, and the name preserved in that street, together with its extension, Lniana street. In other districts of Białystok there are cases neighbouring streets which bear names of related topics, for example streets with names related to flowers in Dziesięciny I District or names related to stars and cosmos in Bacieczki District.
In some cases there is a conflict between opposite political camps regarding the naming of a street. An example of such a case occurred when in 2018 the Białystok City Council, at the initiative of Law and Justice councillors, which held a majority then, named an unnamed road Łupaszki street. Following the local election held that year Civic Platform coalition gained a majority at the city council and promoted initiative to rename the street, claiming that Zygmunt Łupaszko was a controversial figure accused in nationalist crimes during World War II. After objection from some of the coalition members and protests of local residents, the initiative was discontinued and instead the extension of that street called 'Podlaska' street which itself turned to be controversial move among Law and Justice members. While the city hall claimed other streets in the area are named after various geographical regions and so this is natural name, the opposition led by Law and Justice members in the city council claimed that this is not natural as there is no connection between Łupaszko which is a person, and Podlaska which is a geographical and administrative region in Poland.
In the decades after the war, as part of the massive re-construction and development efforts which followed the mass destruction, large number of pre-war streets were erased from the map during the demolishing and construction and widening of new streets. Such names include them are Siedlecka, Cicha, Orlańska, Piesza, Szlachecka, Mińska, Syjońska, Palestyńska, Jasna, Kacza, Kosynierska, Różańska, Chmielna, Chmielna, Górna, Smolna, Łódzka, Niecala, Smutna, Rabińska, Chazanowicza, Tykocińska, Jastrzębia, Dobrzyniewska, Alta, Sportowa, Koszarowa, Zamkowa, Fastowska, Ciemna, Widna, Głucha, Zalewna, Mokra, Gęsia, Bożnicza, Opatowska, Bażantarska, Pokorna Szkolna, Ceglana, Ordynarska, Stolarska, Czackiego, Alejowa, Skidelska, Indurska, Sienna, Berdyczowska, Wołkowyska, Książęca, Wronia, Okrągła, Grzybowa, Okopowa, Wisniowa and Mazurska.Ulica Różańska - Białystok, Wyborcza, October 9, 2006
History The earliest known street names are those which appear in the 1799 city plan: Name in 1799Name todayBojarskaWarszawska (from Sienkiewicza to Pałacowa)ChoroskaLipowaKleiforfElektryczna (from Biała river to Warszawska)NowaSpółdzielczaNowe MiastoWarszawska (from Pałacowa to Elektryczna)Podrzeczna (first)nad Białką (from Pałacowa to Kościelna)Podrzeczna (second)Nad Białką (from Kościelna to Sienkiewicza)Przedmieście WasilkowskieSienkiewicza (to Biała river)SuraskaSuraskaŚwiętojańskaŚwiętojańskaWasilkowskaSienkiewicza (from Rynek Kościuszki to Biała river)ZagumiennaMalmeda (to 1946 Kupiecka)ZamkowaPałacowaZatylna PółnocnaBiałównyZatylna - Zatylna Poprzeczna - (after 1807 Cerkiewna, then Kryńska and after 1919 Kacza)Zatylna (Podłużna) First - Zatylna (Podłużna) Second - Zatylna (Podłużna) Third - Zatylna Zachodnia - ZielonaZamenhofaBrowarna - Jatkowa - NiemieckaKilińskiegoPocztowa -
Russian Empire (1815-1915) Following the Partition of Poland and the 1807 Treaties of Tilsit, Białystok became part of the Russian Empire and with the time it had passed through a Russification process as part of which the many street were renamed to honour Russian culture and national identity. As such, Sienkiewicza Street was renamed Nicholas street after Emperor Nicholas I of Russia.
Second Polish Republic (1919-1939) Following the regaining of independence and the establishment of the Second Polish Republic in the aftermath of First World War, the new municipal authorities began with massive renaming of streets, aiming at polonization and promoting the Polish statehood, history and national identity. In some cases the streets names were kept as they were, in others a completely new name was given and in other cases the names were simply translated from the Russian name to a same meaning name in Polish. As late as July 1919, Russian information signs were still hanging on the doors of the city hall building. One of the councilors proposed naming one of the streets "14 Lipca". This was met with Puchalski's retort that in such a case a street would have to be created on July 14th to commemorate the celebration of the American holiday. After further debates, a compromise was reached, which consisted in renaming Sadowa Street to Wersalska (now Akademicka) and Łozowa Street to Waszyngtona. In January 1925 mayor Szymański's proposal to name one of the streets "19 Lutego", requested that a section of Kolejowa Street, from the railway viaduct to Lipowa Street which would commemorate the entry of Polish troops into Białystok, had also not passed, with councilors decided to rename instead the section of Kolejowa Street to Gen. Jan Henryk Dąbrowski.
Among the old and new streets:
Old nameNew name Bulwarna Branickiego Kucharski zaułek Angielska Michajłowska Daleka Charkowska Gdańska Czarny zaułek Czarna Stołbowa Filarowa Mieszczańska Elektryczna Ossorgińska Giełdowa Kniżna Gęsia Kaflowa Grunwaldzka Oranżeryjna Inspektowa Pocztowa Jurowiecka Niemiecka Kilińskiego Nowoniemiecka Legionowa Sołdacka Legionowa Dwinska Łomżyńska Intendantski zaułek Magazynowa Iwanowski zaułek Majowa Mramorna Marmurowa Brzeska Mickiewicza Puszkinska Mickiewicza Bannaja Mokra Kościelny zaułek Niecała Instytutowa Pałacowa Gogolewska Słonimska Staroszosowa Świętego Rocha Aleksandrowska Warszawska Jewrejska Żydowska Targ na Piaskach Sienny rynek Bazarny Plac Rynek Kościuszki Moesowska Krakowska Nowoszosowa Kolejowa
In addition, during the existence of the Second Polish Republic, further renaming of major streets were made: In January 1925 section of Kolejowa street was renamed Dąbrowskiego. In 1930 Mostowa street changed to Dr. Chazanowicza. In March 1931 Lipowa street renamed to Piłsudskiego (not to confuse with the current Piłsudskiego Avenue which didn't exist then). In 1932 Pałacowa street renamed Żwirki i Wigury (reverted after the war). In 1934 Warszawska street renamed Pierackiego (reverted after the war). In 1936 Elektryczna street renamed Orlicz-Dreszera (reverted after the war).
Soviet occupation (1939-1941) Following the Invasion of the Soviet Union to Poland, Białystok was annexed to the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (BSSR) and a massive Sovietization policies implemented. As such, many streets were renamed to promote Soviet and Communist ideology and narrative. On the 8th of January 1940 the Soviet-controlled city hall (called in Polish Miejski Komitet Wykonawczy w Białymstoku) published the list of street renaming, (officially in according with demands of the working people following the Conference of the Union of the Textile, Food and Construction Industry and the Meeting of Representatives of Workers' Councils). Among the changes:
Old nameNew name Piłsudskiego Sowiecka Rynek Kościuszki Sowiecka Kilińskiego Sowiecka Sienkiewicza Lenina Wasilkowska Lenina Dąbrowskiego Czapajewa Nowy Świat Swierdłowa Sobieskiego Marksa Jurowiecka Pocztowa Piasta Gorkiego Żwirki i Wigury Czkałowa Branickiego Szczorsa Giełdowa Leningradzka Kościelna Tołstoja Jagiellońska 8 Marca Park 3 Maja 17 Września Aleja 11 Listopada 17 Września Legionowa Lotnicza Rabińska Majakowskiego Harcerska Sportowa Jerozolimska Czerwonej Gwiazdy Bożnicza Papanińska Św. Rocha Październikowa Palestyńska Luksemburga Szlachecka Kołchoźnicza Świętojańska Kominternu Hetmańska Libknechta Nowy Świat Swierdłowa Poznańskiej Dzierżyńskiego Słonimska Kirowa Stołeczna Czajkowskiego Świętokrzyska Stalskiego Ułańska Ulianowa Wersalska Moskiewska Bema Komsomolska Częstochowska Rewolucyjna Grunwaldzka Urickiego Waszyngtona Engelska
German occupation (1941-1944) In June 1941 the German Army entered Białystok as part of Nazi Germany's war on the Soviet Union. The renaming of streets could be seen in a city plan from 1942 issued by the German authorities. Among those changes of street names, can be noted: