Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Izabella Poniatowska

Around 1437 a member of the Raczków family received a wilderness area along the river Biała from Michael Žygimantaitis, pretender to the throne of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the last male descendant of Sigismund Kęstutaitis. From 1665 it belonged to the Branicki family, who developed it into a residential town. At the instigation of Stefan Branicki, Białystok received its town charter in 1692. In the first half of the 18th century, Jan Klemens Branicki transformed the palace built by his father into a magnificent residence, which was frequently visited by Polish kings, in 1748, one of the oldest theaters in Poland, the "Komedialnia", was founded here. In 1770, under the auspices of Jan Klemens Branicki´s wife Izabella Poniatowska, a midwifery school was founded, based on which the Institute of Obstetrics was established in 1805. Białystok came under Prussian rule in 1796 and in 1807 after the Peace of Tilsit fell to Russia. This circumstance and the establishment of a customs border between Congress Poland and Russia in 1831 ensured a boom for the city, as companies from Poland moved their headquarters to the now Russian Białystok to continue producing for the Russian army. The opening of the Warsaw-Petersburg railway, which ran through Białystok, turned the city into an industrial center. In 1900, 63% of the inhabitants were Jews, so the city also developed as a significant Jewish center. During WWI a German air raid took place in April 1915, which resulted in 13 dead. Heavy damage was caused by Russian troops when they retreated from the advancing Germans in August 1915. Białystok remained under German control until February 1919. At the beginning of WWII, the city was taken by German troops but, according to the secret agreement in the German-Soviet non-aggression pact, it was handed over to the troops of the Soviet Union. In the course of the German attack on the Soviet Union in 1941, Białystok was again occupied by the Wehrmacht. In June 1941, the German police burned down the Great Synagogue of Białystok, into which they had previously herded hundreds of Jews. The new rulers established the Białystok ghetto here. Most of the approximately 43-60 thousand Jewish inhabitants at that time were taken to the extermination camps Treblinka and Auschwitz and murdered there. . The Palace of Jan Klemens Branicki, sometimes named the "Versailles de la Pologne".

Around 1437 a member of the Raczków family received a wilderness area along the river Biała from Michael Žygimantaitis, pretender to the throne of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the last male descendant of Sigismund Kęstutaitis. From 1665 it belonged to the Branicki family, who developed it into a residential town. At the instigation of Stefan Branicki, Białystok received its town charter in 1692. In the first half of the 18th century, Jan Klemens Branicki transformed the palace built by his father into a magnificent residence, which was frequently visited by Polish kings, in 1748, one of the oldest theaters in Poland, the "Komedialnia", was founded here. In 1770, under the auspices of Jan Klemens Branicki´s wife Izabella Poniatowska, a midwifery school was founded, based on which the Institute of Obstetrics was established in 1805. Białystok came under Prussian rule in 1796 and in 1807 after the Peace of Tilsit fell to Russia. This circumstance and the establishment of a customs border between Congress Poland and Russia in 1831 ensured a boom for the city, as companies from Poland moved their headquarters to the now Russian Białystok to continue producing for the Russian army. The opening of the Warsaw-Petersburg railway, which ran through Białystok, turned the city into an industrial center. In 1900, 63% of the inhabitants were Jews, so the city also developed as a significant Jewish center. During WWI a German air raid took place in April 1915, which resulted in 13 dead. Heavy damage was caused by Russian troops when they retreated from the advancing Germans in August 1915. Białystok remained under German control until February 1919. At the beginning of WWII, the city was taken by German troops but, according to the secret agreement in the German-Soviet non-aggression pact, it was handed over to the troops of the Soviet Union. In the course of the German attack on the Soviet Union in 1941, Białystok was again occupied by the Wehrmacht. In June 1941, the German police burned down the Great Synagogue of Białystok, into which they had previously herded hundreds of Jews. The new rulers established the Białystok ghetto here. Most of the approximately 43-60 thousand Jewish inhabitants at that time were taken to the extermination camps Treblinka and Auschwitz and murdered there. . The design of the facade still shows is still from the old icons of the Eastern bloc. So comes from the time before 1989.

Around 1437 a member of the Raczków family received a wilderness area along the river Biała from Michael Žygimantaitis, pretender to the throne of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the last male descendant of Sigismund Kęstutaitis. From 1665 it belonged to the Branicki family, who developed it into a residential town. At the instigation of Stefan Branicki, Białystok received its town charter in 1692. In the first half of the 18th century, Jan Klemens Branicki transformed the palace built by his father into a magnificent residence, which was frequently visited by Polish kings, in 1748, one of the oldest theaters in Poland, the "Komedialnia", was founded here. In 1770, under the auspices of Jan Klemens Branicki´s wife Izabella Poniatowska, a midwifery school was founded, based on which the Institute of Obstetrics was established in 1805. Białystok came under Prussian rule in 1796 and in 1807 after the Peace of Tilsit fell to Russia. This circumstance and the establishment of a customs border between Congress Poland and Russia in 1831 ensured a boom for the city, as companies from Poland moved their headquarters to the now Russian Białystok to continue producing for the Russian army. The opening of the Warsaw-Petersburg railway, which ran through Białystok, turned the city into an industrial center. In 1900, 63% of the inhabitants were Jews, so the city also developed as a significant Jewish center. During WWI a German air raid took place in April 1915, which resulted in 13 dead. Heavy damage was caused by Russian troops when they retreated from the advancing Germans in August 1915. Białystok remained under German control until February 1919. At the beginning of WWII, the city was taken by German troops but, according to the secret agreement in the German-Soviet non-aggression pact, it was handed over to the troops of the Soviet Union. In the course of the German attack on the Soviet Union in 1941, Białystok was again occupied by the Wehrmacht. In June 1941, the German police burned down the Great Synagogue of Białystok, into which they had previously herded hundreds of Jews. The new rulers established the Białystok ghetto here. Most of the approximately 43-60 thousand Jewish inhabitants at that time were taken to the extermination camps Treblinka and Auschwitz and murdered there. . St. Nicholas church was erected 1843 - 1846 and became the seat of the Orthodox parish. It was built in the classical style, with elements referring to the architecture of antique, as well as to Byzantine cross-dome temples. After the restoration of Polish independence in 1918, the new government viewed the Orthodox religious buildings in Bialystok as symbols of the previous Russification policy and revised them for the Catholic Church. Until 1951, St. Nicholas was an ordinary parish church. In1951, after the Orthodox diocese of Białystok-Gdańskthe, was founded, St. Nicholas became a cathedral.

Around 1437 a member of the Raczków family received a wilderness area along the river Biała from Michael Žygimantaitis, pretender to the throne of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the last male descendant of Sigismund Kęstutaitis. From 1665 it belonged to the Branicki family, who developed it into a residential town. At the instigation of Stefan Branicki, Białystok received its town charter in 1692. In the first half of the 18th century, Jan Klemens Branicki transformed the palace built by his father into a magnificent residence, which was frequently visited by Polish kings, in 1748, one of the oldest theaters in Poland, the "Komedialnia", was founded here. In 1770, under the auspices of Jan Klemens Branicki´s wife Izabella Poniatowska, a midwifery school was founded, based on which the Institute of Obstetrics was established in 1805. Białystok came under Prussian rule in 1796 and in 1807 after the Peace of Tilsit fell to Russia. This circumstance and the establishment of a customs border between Congress Poland and Russia in 1831 ensured a boom for the city, as companies from Poland moved their headquarters to the now Russian Białystok to continue producing for the Russian army. The opening of the Warsaw-Petersburg railway, which ran through Białystok, turned the city into an industrial center. In 1900, 63% of the inhabitants were Jews, so the city also developed as a significant Jewish center. During WWI a German air raid took place in April 1915, which resulted in 13 dead. Heavy damage was caused by Russian troops when they retreated from the advancing Germans in August 1915. Białystok remained under German control until February 1919. At the beginning of WWII, the city was taken by German troops but, according to the secret agreement in the German-Soviet non-aggression pact, it was handed over to the troops of the Soviet Union. In the course of the German attack on the Soviet Union in 1941, Białystok was again occupied by the Wehrmacht. In June 1941, the German police burned down the Great Synagogue of Białystok, into which they had previously herded hundreds of Jews. The new rulers established the Białystok ghetto here. Most of the approximately 43-60 thousand Jewish inhabitants at that time were taken to the extermination camps Treblinka and Auschwitz and murdered there. . St. Roch's Church The church was built on the initiative of the local provost, who in 1926 announced a competition for the design of the "Divine Providence Temple in Bialystok". More than Seventy entries were sent, with the design of Oskar Sosnowski finally winning. The church is planned as an octahedron, with three masses set on one another. After Sosnowski´s death, during the German siege of Warsaw), the construction was continued by Stanislaw Bukowski. During the Soviet occupation of eastern Poland during WW II the Soviet authorities planned to open a circus in the unfinished building. The church has an impressive, 83-meter tower. On the top, there is a 3-meter figure of Mary,

Around 1437 a member of the Raczków family received a wilderness area along the river Biała from Michael Žygimantaitis, pretender to the throne of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the last male descendant of Sigismund Kęstutaitis. From 1665 it belonged to the Branicki family, who developed it into a residential town. At the instigation of Stefan Branicki, Białystok received its town charter in 1692. In the first half of the 18th century, Jan Klemens Branicki transformed the palace built by his father into a magnificent residence, which was frequently visited by Polish kings In 1748, one of the oldest theaters in Poland, the "Komedialnia", was founded here. In 1770, under the auspices of Jan Klemens Branicki´s wife Izabella Poniatowska, a midwifery school was founded, based on which the Institute of Obstetrics was established in 1805. Białystok came under Prussian rule in 1796 and in 1807 after the Peace of Tilsit fell to Russia. This circumstance and the establishment of a customs border between Congress Poland and Russia in 1831 ensured a boom for the city, as companies from Poland moved their headquarters to the now Russian Białystok to continue producing for the Russian army. The opening of the Warsaw-Petersburg railway, which ran through Białystok, turned the city into an industrial center. In 1900, 63% of the inhabitants were Jews, so the city also developed as a significant Jewish center. During WWI a German air raid took place in April 1915, which resulted in 13 dead. Heavy damage was caused by Russian troops when they retreated from the advancing Germans in August 1915. Białystok remained under German control until February 1919. At the beginning of WWII, the city was taken by German troops but, according to the secret agreement in the German-Soviet non-aggression pact, it was handed over to the troops of the Soviet Union. In the course of the German attack on the Soviet Union in 1941, Białystok was again occupied by the Wehrmacht. In June 1941, the German police burned down the Great Synagogue of Białystok, into which they had previously herded hundreds of Jews. The new rulers established the Białystok ghetto here. Most of the approximately 43-60 thousand Jewish inhabitants at that time were taken to the extermination camps Treblinka and Auschwitz and murdered there. . St. Roch's Church The church was built on the initiative of the local provost, who in 1926 announced a competition for the design of the "Divine Providence Temple in Bialystok". More than Seventy entries were sent, with the design of Oskar Sosnowski finally winning. The church is planned as an octahedron, with three masses set on one another. After Sosnowski´s death, during the German siege of Warsaw), the construction was continued by Stanislaw Bukowski. During the Soviet occupation of eastern Poland during WW II, the Soviet authorities planned to open a circus in the unfinished building. The church has an impressive, 83-meter tower. On the top, there is a 3-meter figure of Mary,

Around 1437 a member of the Raczków family received a wilderness area along the river Biała from Michael Žygimantaitis, pretender to the throne of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the last male descendant of Sigismund Kęstutaitis. From 1665 it belonged to the Branicki family, who developed it into a residential town. At the instigation of Stefan Branicki, Białystok received its town charter in 1692. In the first half of the 18th century, Jan Klemens Branicki transformed the palace built by his father into a magnificent residence, which was frequently visited by Polish kings Iin 1748, one of the oldest theaters in Poland, the "Komedialnia", was founded here. In 1770, under the auspices of Jan Klemens Branicki´s wife Izabella Poniatowska, a midwifery school was founded, based on which the Institute of Obstetrics was established in 1805. Białystok came under Prussian rule in 1796 and in 1807 after the Peace of Tilsit fell to Russia. This circumstance and the establishment of a customs border between Congress Poland and Russia in 1831 ensured a boom for the city, as companies from Poland moved their headquarters to the now Russian Białystok to continue producing for the Russian army. The opening of the Warsaw-Petersburg railway, which ran through Białystok, turned the city into an industrial center. In 1900, 63% of the inhabitants were Jews, so the city also developed as a significant Jewish center. During WWI a German air raid took place in April 1915, which resulted in 13 dead. Heavy damage was caused by Russian troops when they retreated from the advancing Germans in August 1915. Białystok remained under German control until February 1919. At the beginning of WWII, the city was taken by German troops but, according to the secret agreement in the German-Soviet non-aggression pact, it was handed over to the troops of the Soviet Union. In the course of the German attack on the Soviet Union in 1941, Białystok was again occupied by the Wehrmacht. In June 1941, the German police burned down the Great Synagogue of Białystok, into which they had previously herded hundreds of Jews. The new rulers established the Białystok ghetto here. Most of the approximately 43-60 thousand Jewish inhabitants at that time were taken to the extermination camps Treblinka and Auschwitz and murdered there. . The old town (the cathedral towers are on the left) is surrounded by large apartment blocks built after WWII.

Around 1437 a member of the Raczków family received a wilderness area along the river Biała from Michael Žygimantaitis, pretender to the throne of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the last male descendant of Sigismund Kęstutaitis. From 1665 it belonged to the Branicki family, who developed it into a residential town. At the instigation of Stefan Branicki, Białystok received its town charter in 1692. In the first half of the 18th century, Jan Klemens Branicki transformed the palace built by his father into a magnificent residence, which was frequently visited by Polish kings. In 1748, one of the oldest theaters in Poland, the "Komedialnia", was founded here. In 1770, under the auspices of Jan Klemens Branicki´s wife Izabella Poniatowska, a midwifery school was founded, based on which the Institute of Obstetrics was established in 1805. Białystok came under Prussian rule in 1796 and in 1807 after the Peace of Tilsit fell to Russia. This circumstance and the establishment of a customs border between Congress Poland and Russia in 1831 ensured a boom for the city, as companies from Poland moved their headquarters to the now Russian Białystok to continue producing for the Russian army. The opening of the Warsaw-Petersburg railway, which ran through Białystok, turned the city into an industrial center. In 1900, 63% of the inhabitants were Jews, so the city also developed as a significant Jewish center. During WWI a German air raid took place in April 1915, which resulted in 13 dead. Heavy damage was caused by Russian troops when they retreated from the advancing Germans in August 1915. Białystok remained under German control until February 1919. At the beginning of WWII, the city was taken by German troops but, according to the secret agreement in the German-Soviet non-aggression pact, it was handed over to the troops of the Soviet Union. In the course of the German attack on the Soviet Union in 1941, Białystok was again occupied by the Wehrmacht. In June 1941, the German police burned down the Great Synagogue of Białystok, into which they had previously herded hundreds of Jews. The new rulers established the Białystok ghetto here. Most of the approximately 43-60 thousand Jewish inhabitants at that time were taken to the extermination camps Treblinka and Auschwitz and murdered there. . The Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary is 90 meters long and can accommodate 9,500 worshippers. The two towers reach a height of 72.5 meters. It is the main church of the Archdiocese of Bialystok and was given the status of a basilica (basílica) in 1985. The predecessor of the present cathedral was a Renaissance church built between 1617 and 1626. In the late 19th century, the number of parishioners had grown to 12,000 people, while the old church only had room for 1,000 worshippers. In Tsarist Russia, Catholics were not allowed to build a new church. However, permission was granted to extend the old parish church. In 1900, construction began on a neo-Gothic church next to the old one. The church was consecrated in 1905.

Around 1437 a member of the Raczków family received a wilderness area along the river Biała from Michael Žygimantaitis, pretender to the throne of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the last male descendant of Sigismund Kęstutaitis. From 1665 it belonged to the Branicki family, who developed it into a residential town. At the instigation of Stefan Branicki, Białystok received its town charter in 1692. In the first half of the 18th century, Jan Klemens Branicki transformed the palace built by his father into a magnificent residence, which was frequently visited by Polish kings Iin 1748, one of the oldest theaters in Poland, the "Komedialnia", was founded here. In 1770, under the auspices of Jan Klemens Branicki´s wife Izabella Poniatowska, a midwifery school was founded, based on which the Institute of Obstetrics was established in 1805. Białystok came under Prussian rule in 1796 and in 1807 after the Peace of Tilsit fell to Russia. This circumstance and the establishment of a customs border between Congress Poland and Russia in 1831 ensured a boom for the city, as companies from Poland moved their headquarters to the now Russian Białystok to continue producing for the Russian army. The opening of the Warsaw-Petersburg railway, which ran through Białystok, turned the city into an industrial center. In 1900, 63% of the inhabitants were Jews, so the city also developed as a significant Jewish center. During WWI a German air raid took place in April 1915, which resulted in 13 dead. Heavy damage was caused by Russian troops when they retreated from the advancing Germans in August 1915. Białystok remained under German control until February 1919. At the beginning of WWII, the city was taken by German troops but, according to the secret agreement in the German-Soviet non-aggression pact, it was handed over to the troops of the Soviet Union. In the course of the German attack on the Soviet Union in 1941, Białystok was again occupied by the Wehrmacht. In June 1941, the German police burned down the Great Synagogue of Białystok, into which they had previously herded hundreds of Jews. The new rulers established the Białystok ghetto here. Most of the approximately 43-60 thousand Jewish inhabitants at that time were taken to the extermination camps Treblinka and Auschwitz and murdered there. . The Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary is 90 meters long and can accommodate 9,500 worshippers. The two towers reach a height of 72.5 meters. It is the main church of the Archdiocese of Bialystok and was given the status of a basilica (basílica) in 1985. The predecessor of the present cathedral was a Renaissance church built between 1617 and 1626, which is seen to the left. In the late 19th century, the number of parishioners had grown to 12,000 people, while the old church only had room for 1,000 worshippers. In Tsarist Russia, Catholics were not allowed to build a new church. However, permission was granted to extend the old parish church. In 1900, construction began on a neo-Gothic church next to the old one. The church was consecrated in 1905.

Around 1437 a member of the Raczków family received a wilderness area along the river Biała from Michael Žygimantaitis, pretender to the throne of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the last male descendant of Sigismund Kęstutaitis. From 1665 it belonged to the Branicki family, who developed it into a residential town. At the instigation of Stefan Branicki, Białystok received its town charter in 1692. In the first half of the 18th century, Jan Klemens Branicki transformed the palace built by his father into a magnificent residence, which was frequently visited by Polish kings Iin 1748, one of the oldest theaters in Poland, the "Komedialnia", was founded here. In 1770, under the auspices of Jan Klemens Branicki´s wife Izabella Poniatowska, a midwifery school was founded, based on which the Institute of Obstetrics was established in 1805. Białystok came under Prussian rule in 1796 and in 1807 after the Peace of Tilsit fell to Russia. This circumstance and the establishment of a customs border between Congress Poland and Russia in 1831 ensured a boom for the city, as companies from Poland moved their headquarters to the now Russian Białystok to continue producing for the Russian army. The opening of the Warsaw-Petersburg railway, which ran through Białystok, turned the city into an industrial center. In 1900, 63% of the inhabitants were Jews, so the city also developed as a significant Jewish center. During WWI a German air raid took place in April 1915, which resulted in 13 dead. Heavy damage was caused by Russian troops when they retreated from the advancing Germans in August 1915. Białystok remained under German control until February 1919. At the beginning of WWII, the city was taken by German troops but, according to the secret agreement in the German-Soviet non-aggression pact, it was handed over to the troops of the Soviet Union. In the course of the German attack on the Soviet Union in 1941, Białystok was again occupied by the Wehrmacht. In June 1941, the German police burned down the Great Synagogue of Białystok, into which they had previously herded hundreds of Jews. The new rulers established the Białystok ghetto here. Most of the approximately 43-60 thousand Jewish inhabitants at that time were taken to the extermination camps Treblinka and Auschwitz and murdered there. . The central square with the town hall on the right and the cathedral in the background