Poland opts for Krolewiec over Kaliningrad as the official name

In a move that emphasizes the importance of historical and cultural heritage, the Commission on Standardisation of Geographical Names Outside the Republic of Poland has recommended that the Polish name of Krolewiec be used for the Russian city of Kaliningrad. This recommendation has also been extended to the Kaliningrad Oblast which will now be called the Krolewiec Oblast in the Polish language.

This change was initiated by local government officials and was supported by a request from the Development and Technology Minister. The foreign ministry provided a positive opinion on the move as well. The decision aims to bring Poland back to traditional nomenclature related to Polish history and cultural heritage.

According to the Development and Technology Ministry, the name Krolewiec will be included on maps, but there will be no new obligations for entrepreneurs or the need to update documents. Speaking on the change, Poland’s Minister of Development and Technology Waldemar Buda said, “We don’t want Russification in Poland and therefore we decided to change the naming in our native language of Kaliningrad and Kaliningrad Oblast, the artificial naming imposed on us, not related to our history.”

Buda also commented on the negative emotions that the name Kaliningrad evokes in Poles. The city was named after M.I. Kalinin, a criminal co-responsible for issuing the decision on the mass murder of Polish officers in Katyn in 1940. Therefore, the recommendation to use Krolewiec as the official name for the city and oblast is seen as a step towards correcting historical injustices.

The resolution was published on the Commission’s website on May 9 and has already taken effect. This change does not entail any new obligations or responsibilities for entrepreneurs or the need to update documents. However, it does signal Poland’s commitment to preserving its cultural and historical heritage.