Minsk streets to get back historical names

Officials have responded to the appeal launched by the activists of the public association Alternatyva (registered in Latvia). Minsk authorities approved the proposal to place in the main streets of the capital additional panels with their historical names. It is about 16 streets, two squares and two avenues. All of them are located in the Upper Town, Nyamiha, Independence Square, Dynamo Stadium, Rakausky and Trinity suburb.

Deputy Chairman of the Minsk City Executive Committee, Andrei Damaratsky, stated in a written reply that the proposal will be forwarded to the next meeting of the Commission for the naming and renaming of avenues, streets, squares of Minsk. The Deputy Minister of Culture, Alyaksandr Yatsko, also supported the project.

In the commentary to Euroradio, the head of Alternatyva Aleh Korban said that duplicate plaques will accommodate all the known historical names of the streets:

Korban: "It will be done in the chronological order since the century we know. For example, the Karl Marx Street was first called Padhornaya, then Novy Rynak, and in the Soviet times - Sverdlova. Since the end of the Soviet era to the present day, this street has been called after Karl Marx."

Korban hopes that plaques with historical street names will appear later this year, in the best case scenario they will appear before the summer. But if for one or two months there will be no information from the officials, the activists will send them appeals again.

Incidentally, plaques with former street names can be seen in Mahiliou, Baranavichy, Kletsk, urban village Holopenichy.

Photo of Padhornaya street/Karl Marx street in Minsk - news.tut.by