Bialystok Things to Do

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Russian, Byelorussian people still quite a big part of Bialystok region habitants, so it is normal here to see Orthodox churches, Russian looking wooden carving houses, listening a bit of Russian language.

Classicist Orthodox Church in central part of Bialystok town was built in around 1843 - 1846. It the the main Orthodox church here in Bialystok, Cathedral.

Ludwik Zamenhof sculpture stands at the small square, where his house was located. He born in 1859 in Bialystok, town that was quite multinational, there was used few different languages (Russian, Polish, Jewish, so on). He decided to create one, international language, Esperanto, based on some other popular languages of the World. Actually Zamenhof was polyglot, was speaking in German, Yiddish, French, Latin, Greek, Hebrew, and English, knew a bit of Italian, Lithuanian, and Spanish.

Actually the job of creating language was successful, but Esperanto, artificial language, is not so popular nowadays.

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Bialystok Town hall is not so unique now; it was rebuilt after World War II. The original building was constructed in 1745, here it got few functions: prison, courtroom, marketplace and nowadays – museum of Podlaske region.

The town hall, as almost whole Bialystok’s centre, was badly damaged during World War II.

It was first time I got to see Pilsudski monument. Actually in Poland he is perceived as hero, strengthening country financially and enlarging territorially. Ironically, but in Lithuania he is one of aggressors. Such situation happened after Polish occupied the part of Lithuania - Vilnius region in Interwar period (starting from 1919).

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Assumption of the Holy Virgin Church was built in 1617 – 1626; the imitator was owner of these lands, Piotr Wiesiolowski. The baroque church is the oldest building in Bialystok. It houses painting of Assumption, mausoleum of famous family, founders of palace Jan Klemens Branicki, his grandmother and father.

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New red – brick neo Gothic Cathedral stands near other one, historical Assumption of the Holy Virgin Church. It was built in early 20th century, quite well looks at central part of town and shortly called as “Fara”. This building reminds me of medieval St. Ann Church in Vilnius.

There was an open air exhibition of most beautiful World photos in long street nearby church.

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It is probably the most known landmark of Bialystok. Baroque palace of Branicki family was built in 1726. It is associated with Versailles in France. Actually, as I got to know, Branicki palace was the one, there canalisation was constructed earlier than in Versailles ant that was a thing to be jealous for other noblemen. The place around is considered as English style garden with some exotic plants (let say, sequoia).

The palace was badly damaged (about 70 percent) in World War Second, but later reconstructed. Now it houses University of Medicine. Studies here are so expensive, that there are almost no local Polish students, but ones from foreign countries – Scandinavia, Switzerland, Germany, so on.

There can you see the old houses from 19th century in the center of Bialystok on the Rynek Kosciuszki. Last time there is made the new place with banks. Only a little pity about the old threes wich was there around this place before....

The Equerry`s Home called too the Pavillon des Invites was built in 1771. This was the guest-house of family Branicki.
Now there is the seat of Registrar`s Office and a Society "Wspolnota Polska" (Polish Community).
Behind this building there is a little park and little river called Bialka.

This is the old city center, there are some cafes, souvenirs store and a super market. Especially nice is the cafe "Wedel", where you can take great hot chocolate. The choice of chockolates is imposant. It is not far from the Branicki`s Palast and the Town Hall.