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Lida Activist: It's Time To Get Rid Of Extraneous Bolshevik Names In Our City

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Lida Activist: It's Time To Get Rid Of Extraneous Bolshevik Names In Our City

Lida residents suggest returning the historical name of Vilenski Trakt to Sverdlov Street.

The initiative of returning the historical name belongs to Lida residents, who filed a collective appeal with the district executive committee. The Lida District Executive Committee says that they are still studying public opinion, Radio Svaboda reports.

During the first week of discussing the proposal to return Sverdlov Street in Lida its historical name, the views of the townspeople were divided. Part of the street residents, mostly elderly ones, argued against the changes.

Stanislau Sudnik, the chairman of the Lida organization of the Belarusian Language Society, is among those who are positive about the proposal. He believes that the time has come for the city to get rid of extraneous Bolshevik names and return the original place-names.

According to Sudnik, it is necessary to change in the city center the names like Savietski, Leninski and others:

"It is quite logical if Sverdlov Street becomes Vilenski Trakt, as it goes towards Vilnius, our ancestors called it that way for a good reason."

Head of the ideological work sector of the Lida District Executive Committee Alena Karalevich confirms that the townspeople’s initiative to return the street its historical name is actively being studied in the city.

"However, we have not made any conclusions yet, because the process is in full swing, but some of the views on what name the streets should have, surprised us," Alena Karalevich says.

According to her, the authorities are studying the opinion of citizens in social networks, local media have also taken part in the discussion. Historical names have been recently returned to some of the Lida streets. In particular, Grunwald Street, Castle Street and Hedemin Boulevard appeared on the map.

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