Ukraine
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Prague 4, day 178: Gončarenkova
Gončarenkova was built in 1934. From 1934 to 1952, the street was called Podhájská; from 1952 to 1957, it was called Na Zvoničce; from 1957 to 1973, it was called Na Zvoničce II. I’m saying nothing about those names, as all will become clear in the next few days. Ivan Hryhorovych Hončarenko was born in Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 31: Vladimírova
Vladimírova was built in 1898. Vladimir (or Volodymyr) was born in 958, the illegitimate son of Sviatoslav (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2025/02/10/prague-4-day-30-svatoslavova/) and his servant, Malusha. In 970, Sviatoslav made his legitimate son, Yaropolk (pictured), ruler of Kyiv; Vladimir was put in charge of Novgorod. Sviatoslav was murdered two years later, and war broke out between Yaropolk and the Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 30: Svatoslavova
I can’t say with certainty when Svatoslavova was built, but it’s had its name since 1900. There are Svatoslavs that the street could be named after. I’ll get the more Czech – but less interesting – one out of the way, and then I’ll move on to option two. Option 1 Svatoslav was an alleged Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 257: Nábřeží Ludvíka Svobody
Originally published on X on 15 June 2024. ‘Nábřeží’ = ‘Embankment’. Ludvík Svoboda was born in Hroznatín, a village in Vysocina Region, in 1895. His father died a year later (apparently after being kicked by a horse), and his mother remarried in 1898. He attended the Agricultural School in Velké Meziříčí, and was then called Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 214: Široká
Originally published on X on 30 April 2024. Starting this story a bit to the north: Štvanice is an island between Karlín and Holešovice; you’re most likely to know it for its tennis arena which hosts the WTA Prague Open. Anyway, once upon a time, there was a ford at Štvanice, and there was a Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 181: U Prašné brány
Originally published on X on 24 March 2024. When the Old Town was still surrounded by fortifications, there was a gate here named after St Ambrose, as was a church on nearby Hybernská (see https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/09/20/prague-1-day-134-hybernska/). The gate was then renamed Horská, because what is now Hybernská ultimately led to Kutná Hora. Once the Old Town Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 127: Politických vězňů (Political prisoners)
Originally published on X on 29 January 2024. When the New Town was founded, this street was named Angelova, after Angelo of Florence (died 1408), court apothecary under Charles IV and his son, Wenceslas IV. In 1757, it was renamed Bredovská after the noble Bredow family (Josef Breda was the governor of Prague’s Old Town, Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 9: Badeniho
Originally published on X on 9 August 2023. Badeniho was built in 1905 and shared with Prague 6 and Prague 7 (yes, I know that’s a 6 on the sign). Kazimierz Feliks Badeni was born into a noble family in the village of Surochów (then Galicia, now south-east Poland) in 1846. Graduating from his law Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 7: Gogolova
Originally published on X on 7 August 2023. Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol was born in Velyki Sorochyntsi, now in Poltava Oblast, in 1809, supposedly descended from an ancient Ukrainian Cossack family. His father wrote poetry and plays in both Ukrainian and Russian. In 1820, he joined a school in Nizhyn (now in Chernihiv Oblast) and started Continue reading
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Prague 2, day 63: Rybalkova
Originally published on Twitter on 8 January 2023. Rybalkova was built before 1884. Prior to the Nazi occupation, and again from 1945 to 1946, the street was called Jablonského, after Boleslav Jablonský (1813-81), poet and priest. During the Nazi occupation, it was known as Labská, after the river Labe (and as in ‘Ústí nad’), known Continue reading
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Prague 3, day 183: Perunova
Originally published on Twitter on 23 October 2022. Perunova was built in 1889. Perun is a Slavic god and quite the multitasker, being the god of the sky, thunder, lightning, storms, rain, law, war, fertility and oak trees. He’s analogous to Thor and Mars. There are multiple potential origins for his name – for example, Continue reading
What's in a Prague street name 