For some, the area around Młynowa was an embarrassing fragment of a village inside the city. For others, it was land to sell off to developers. For a few, it was a rare postcard from the past — evidence of Białystok’s identity. It’s gone now.

For years I lived in a block built on a former district of wooden houses. I wanted to show what remains of the old streets and alleys of the pre-war wooden city, and what has been built in their place — wiping out even the smallest traces.

I once wrote for “Przekrój” about the memory (or rather the lack of it) of the Białystok ghetto. While working on the text, I was struck by how hard it is to find places tied to a not-so-distant history within today’s city fabric.