Kraków has named an area outside the Russian consulate as “Free Ukraine Square” as a show of support for Poland’s eastern neighbour. It is the latest in a line of Polish cities to name public spaces in honour of Ukraine.
This is “our humble gesture in the face of the great strength and resilience of the Ukrainian nation”, said Rafał Komarewicz, chairman of Kraków city council, at today’s unveiling of the new name, which enacted a resolution passed by the council in April.
“By opening this square, we want to show that we are with you…as you fight for your freedom and ours,” added Mayor Jacek Majchrowski. “You can show that David can defeat Goliath.”
At the ceremony, Ukraine’s consul in Kraków, Viacheslav Voinarovskyi, expressed his gratitude for the decision.
“I believe that this historic event is another step in supporting my country’s struggle as part of the unprecedented Polish aid for our country, its armed forces, and millions of my compatriots who received shelter and care on Polish soil [after] fleeing the Russian invaders,” said Voinarovskyi, quoted by LoveKrakow.
The newly named square (Skwer Wolnej Ukrainy) stands alongside the Russian consulate general in Kraków’s city centre.
On 1 July, the city of Gdańsk on Poland’s northern Baltic coast took a similar step, opening Heroic Mariupol Square in honour of Ukraine’s defence of that city. As in Kraków, the newly named square stands near Gdańsk’s Russian consulate.
Previously, in April, the nearby city of Gdynia had announced the naming of its own Free Ukraine Square. In June, the city of Poznań in western Poland unveiled Defenders of Ukraine 2022 Square.
April also saw the words “Слава Україні!” (“Glory to Ukraine!”) painted in large yellow and blue letters on the pavement outside the Russian embassy in Warsaw as part of a city-basked exhibition. The municipal authorities also seized a building that the Russian embassy illegitimately claimed ownership of.
W Gdańsku u zbiegu ulic Partyzantów i Matki Polki, nieopodal rosyjskiego konsulatu, „otwierany” jest właśnie Skwer Bohaterskiego Mariupola. Do końca wakacji można tu zobaczyć wystawę zdjęć zniszczonego miasta. @RMF24pl pic.twitter.com/o92kwzKgGi
— Kuba Kaługa (@ka_uga) July 1, 2022
In Kraków, council chair Komarewicz noted that the newly named square was not only a symbolic gesture of solidarity with Ukraine, but also a tribute to the enormous material support provided by the city’s inhabitants.
Like other large Polish cities, Kraków has received a huge number of Ukrainian refugees. In late March, one month after the start of the war, local authorities estimated that 150,000 refugees had arrived, increasing the city’s population by almost 20%. Many have been housed by Cracovians in their homes.
Individual residents of Kraków, like others around Poland, have also donated aid to be delivered to Ukraine itself. At one stage early in the war, the local authorities had to appeal to residents to temporarily stop making donations as they were not able to process the large quantities being given.
In May, the council also voted to provide material aid to Ukraine to the value of 500,000 (€104,000) from the city’s budget.
In an effort to thank Poles for their hospitality, Ukrainians launched a campaign to clean up parks, forests and other public spaces around Poland.
Main image credit: Sylwia Penc / Agencja Wyborcza.pl
Daniel Tilles is editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland. He has written on Polish affairs for a wide range of publications, including Foreign Policy, POLITICO Europe, EUobserver and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.
