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.[1]
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:
Other streets are named after persons connected to the local history and events:
Some streets preserve in their name their original purpose, as a road leading to other places:
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 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, Szkolna, Ceglana, Ordynarska, Stolarska, Czackiego, Alejowa, Skidelska, Indurska, Sienna, Berdyczowska, Wołkowyska, Książęca, Wronia, Okrągła, Grzybowa, Okopowa, Wisniowa and Mazurska.[5] [6] [7]
The earliest known street names are those which appear in the 1799 city plan:[8] [9]
| Name in 1799 | Name today | |
|---|---|---|
| Bojarska | Warszawska (from Sienkiewicza to Pałacowa) | |
| Choroska | Lipowa | |
| Kleiforf | Elektryczna (from Biała river to Warszawska) | |
| Nowa | Spółdzielcza | |
| Nowe Miasto | Warszawska (from Pałacowa to Elektryczna) | |
| Podrzeczna (first) | nad Białką (from Pałacowa to Kościelna) | |
| Podrzeczna (second) | Nad Białką (from Kościelna to Sienkiewicza) | |
| Przedmieście Wasilkowskie | Sienkiewicza (to Biała river) | |
| Suraska | Suraska | |
| Świętojańska | Świętojańska | |
| Wasilkowska | Sienkiewicza (from Rynek Kościuszki to Biała river) | |
| Zagumienna | Malmeda (to 1946 Kupiecka) | |
| Zamkowa | Pałacowa | |
| Zatylna Północna | Białówny | |
| Zatylna | - | |
| Zatylna Poprzeczna | - (after 1807 Cerkiewna, then Kryńska and after 1919 Kacza[10]) | |
| Zatylna (Podłużna) First | - | |
| Zatylna (Podłużna) Second | - | |
| Zatylna (Podłużna) Third | - | |
| Zatylna Zachodnia | - | |
| Zielona | Zamenhofa | |
| Browarna | - | |
| Jatkowa | - | |
| Niemiecka | Kilińskiego | |
| Pocztowa | - |
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.[11]
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.[12] 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.[13] Among the old and new streets:
| Old name | New 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 |
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 name | New name |
|---|---|
| Piłsudskiego | Sowiecka |
| Rynek Kościuszki | Sowiecka |
| Kilińskiego | Sowiecka |
| Sienkiewicza | Lenina |
| Wasilkowska | Lenina |
| Dąbrowskiego | Czapajewa |
| Sobieskiego | Marksa |
| Piasta | Gorkiego |
| Żwirki i Wigury | Czkałowa |
| Branickiego | Szczorsa |
| 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 |
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:
| Old name | New name |
|---|---|
| Aleja 11 Listopada | Richthofen Strasse |
| Angielska | Badenweiler |
| Antoniukowska | Nadrauen |
| Antoniuk Fabryczny | Nadrauen |
| Armatnia | Kanonen |
| Artyleryjska | Artillerie |
| Bema | Barbara |
| Biała | Mars |
| Białostoczańska | Kamerun |
| Botaniczna | Tapiauer |
| Branickiego | Goethe |
| Brukowa | Standarten |
| Czarna | Schwarze Casse |
| Częstochowska | Leipziger |
| Dąbrowskiego | Königsberger |
| Elektryczna | Kleindorf |
| Hetmańska | Insterburger |
| Jurowiecka | Post |
| Kilińskiego | Deutche |
| Kolejowa | Königzberger |
| Kupiecka | Markgrafen |
| Legionowa | Hamann |
| Marczukowska | Gotenhafener |
| Marmurowa | Marmer |
| Mazowiecka | Hochmeister |
| Mickiewicza | Reichsmarachall |
| Młynowa | Mühlen |
| Modrzewiowa | Albrecht |
| Niecała | Kirchen |
| Nowy Świat | Heidelberger |
| Odeska | Bromberger |
| Piłsudskiego | Langasse |
| Poleska | Preussisch |
| Pułaskiego | Heerbann |
| Sienkiewicza | Erich Koch |
| Sienny Rynek | Neuer Markt |
| Słonimska | Reinhard-Heydrich |
| Sosnowa | Nürnberger |
| Szlachecka | Posener |
| Szosa do Supraśla | Suprasler |
| Szosa do Zambrowa | Sürdring |
| Św. Rocha | Tannenberg |
| Świętojańska | Kant |
| Kościałkowskiego | Am Schlosspark |
| Wierzbowa | Trakenher |
| Wspólna | Hohenfriedberger |
| Zamenhofa | Grüne |
| Zwierzyniecka | Boeloke |
| Żelazna | Lobeer |
With the establishment of the Communist regime in Poland and the inclusion of Białystok in the People's Republic new borders, the new authorities began massive renaming of streets to resemble Communist and Soviet identity and culture. While renaming of existing streets and naming of new streets was done throughout the communist period, two clear periods can be defined, the first period, of high stalinism which occurred from 1947 to 1956 and the later period, from 1956 until the end of communism in 1989/1990 when the Polish People's Republic was a bit more independent from the Soviet Union within the communist bloc and was allowed to combine the communist identity, together with local one.
From 1947 into the early 1950s, the Białystok City National Council (municipal parliament), adopted a series of resolutions to rename many streets. Among them are the following:
| Old name | New name | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Argentyńska | Bułgarska | 1949 |
| Białostoczańska | Produkcyjna | 1951 |
| Białostoczańska | Włókiennicza | 1954 |
| Bożnicza | Bohaterów Getta | 1949 |
| Aleja 11 Listopada | Aleja Sportowa | 1951 |
| Aleja 11 Listopada | Aleja Sportowa | 1954 |
| Akademicka | Rokossowskiego | 1949 |
| Branickiego | Lenina | 1949 |
| Chazanowicza | Worcella | 1949 |
| Grochowa | Ostrowskiego | 1954 |
| Książęca | Proletariacka | 1949 |
| Sienkiewicza | 1 May | 1949 |
| Św. Rocha | Manifestu Lipcowego | 1949 |
| Legionowa | Dzierżyńskiego | 1949 |
| Lipowa | Stalina | 1949 |
| Słonimska | Wolna | 1951 |
| Trochimowska | Przytorowa | 1954 |
| Wołodyjowskiego | Wróblewskiego | 1951 |
| Wołodyjowskiego | Gwardii Ludowej | 1954 |
| Wójtowska | Gminna | 1951 |
| Serwitutowa | Jęczmienna | 1951 |
| Żydowska | Fornalska | 1955 |
| Żwirki i Wigury | Marchlewskiego | 1950 |
| Świętojańska | Nowotki | 1949 |
Following the October 1956 Thaw, a number of streets were renamed (either reverted or were given new name) to emphasize Soviet and communist identity to local, Polish one:
| Old name | New name |
|---|---|
| Stalina | Lipowa |
| 1 May | Sienkiewicza |
| Rokossowskiego | Akademicka |
| Olejniczaka | Skłodowskiej-Curie |
| Sienkiewicza | Olejniczaka |
Antoniuk
Bema
Piasta
Tysiąclecia
Following the collapse of the Communist regime in Poland and the establishment of the Third Polish Republic (modern Republic of Poland), the new elected authorities began a process of decommunization which included the removal of Communist names and ideas from public spaces. As such a new wave of renaming began in Białystok. The process of renaming included reverting to the old and original names of many streets and in some cases to a different new names.
| +Decommunization in 80. 90. | Old name | New name | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aleja 1 May | Piłsudskiego | 1990 | |
| Armii Radzieckiej | Baranowicka | 1991 | |
| Dzierżyńskiego | Legionowa | 1989 | |
| Fornalskiej | Białówny | 1990 | |
| Gagarina | Aleja Solidarności | 1996 | |
| Gomułki | Popieluszki | 1990 | |
| Juchnickiego | Sukienna | 1990 | |
| Kraśki | Storczykowa | 1989 | |
| Lubinieckiego | Waszyngtona | 1990 | |
| Podedwornego | Waszyngtona | 1990 | |
| Lenina | Branickiego | 1990 | |
| Łaszewicza | Magnoliowa | 1989 | |
| Próchniaka | Liniarskiego | 1990 | |
| Przodowników Pracy | Bohaterów Monte Cassino | 1981 | |
| Stalingradzka | Litewska | 1990 | |
| Stąpora | Mieszka I | 1981 | |
| Świerczewskiego | 11 listopada | 1989-1990 | |
| Wesołowskiego | Suraska | 1990 | |
| Mistrzów Plonów | Wyszyńskiego | 1981 | |
| Marchlewskiego | Pałacowa | 1989 | |
| Nowotki | Świętojańska | 1989 | |
| Olejniczaka | Boboli | 1990 |
| +Decommunization in 10. | Old name | New name | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wojsk Ochrony Pogranicza | Depowa | 2016 | |
| Berlinga | Hallera | 2016 | |
| Armii Ludowej | Twardowskiego | 2016 | |
| Kruczkowskiego | Gajcego | 2017 | |
| Rzymowskiego | Świętego Jerzego | 2017 | |
| 27 lipca | 42. Pułku Piechoty | 2013 | |
| I Armii Wojska Polskiego | Bitwy białostockiej | 2017 |