Protection of wooden architecture monuments and the cultural heritage of Polish Tatars (on the example of the Bohoniki Cultural Park and the landscape park in Kruszyniany)

Magdalena Sulima

doi:10.37190/arc230108

Abstract

The article discusses the symbolism and richness of the culture of the Polish Tatars living in the villages of Bohoniki and Kruszyniany, located in Podlaskie Province. The centuries-old tradition, as well as the customs cultivated and maintained to this day by the Tatar population, are a treasure trove of the history of times past and undeniable proof of the existence of genius loci. Despite the unique architectural and cultural values presented by both villages and the fact that the mosques and mizars located there are included in the national list of monuments and have been recognized as monuments of history, the cultural landscape of the villages is exposed to changes and distortions as a result of the industrial investments planned here. These activities will undoubtedly negatively affect the image of the village, both spatially, naturally and socially. One of the ways of protecting Tatar culture has become the creation of a cultural park in Bohoniki, the purpose of which is to strengthen the protection of monuments located in its area, as well as to consolidate the village’s tourist potential. In turn in Kruszyniany, the creation of industrial poultry farms is to be prevented by the establishment of a landscape park, whose priority will be both the protection of the surrounding nature of the Knyszyn Forest, as well as the protection of the multicultural heritage of the village. The text also addresses legal issues of protection from the perspective of the regulations on the functioning of the cultural and landscape park, as well as describing the actions taken in this regard by the residents themselves, local authorities and conservation services. The aim of the text is to draw attention to the problem of comprehensive protection of monuments and cultural heritage of the Polish Tatars in the context of modern civilization transformations and related landscape changes.

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2023

1(73)

Magdalena Sulima*

Protection of wooden architecture monuments

and the cultural heritage of Polish Tatars

(on the example of the Bohoniki Cultural Park

and the landscape park in Kruszyniany)

Introduction

Due to its location on the eastern border of Poland,

Podlaskie Voivodeship has for centuries been the land of

many cultures, where elements of the material and spir-

itual heritage of the East and West interlace. It is one of

the most ethnically and religiously diverse regions in the

country, which is reected in the architectural forms of

sacral buildings and places of worship belonging to vari-

ous religions that survived here, along with their traditions,

customs, languages and cuisine. In addition to Poles, these

lands were inhabited by various nationalities, including

Li thua nians, Belarusians, Ukrainians, Jews, Armenians,

nomadic Roma and Tatar populations [1, p. 6], [2, p. 10].

Tatars in Poland are an ocial ethnic minority. Accord-

ing to the 2011 census, about 2,000 people of the Muslim

faith belong to this community

. The country currently

has over a dozen places of prayer (mosques and houses

of worship) and six mizars, or cemeteries [3]. Most mem-

bers of this group live in Gdańsk, Poznań, Warsaw, and

in Podlasie, in the belt from Sokółka to Krynki (Fig. 1).

Specically, in the villages of Bohoniki and Kruszyniany,

the oldest settlements of Tatar Muslims and their legacy

of wooden mosques from the 18

and 19

centuries sur-

vived. Their centuries-old traditions, as well as the cus-

toms cultivated and maintained to this day by the Tatar

population, are a treasury of past history and irrefutable

proof of the existence of genius loci. The magic of the

* ORCID: 0000-0002-0807-9417. Faculty of Architecture, Bia ły-

stok University of Technology, Poland, e-mail: m.sulima@pb.edu.pl

The results of the 2021 census have not yet been published.

Podlaski Orient, situated in the surrounding natural land-

scape of the Green Lungs of Poland is quite unique, and

many have visited the area over the years to experience it.

Despite the unique architectural and cultural values of

both places, and the fact that the mosques and mizars lo-

cated here have been entered into the national list of mon-

uments and recognized as monuments of history, the cul-

tural landscape of the villages is exposed to changes and

distortions as a result of industrial investments planned

here. These activities will undoubtedly have a negative

impact on the scenery of the countryside, in spatial, natu-

ral and social terms. One of the ways to protect the Tatar

culture was through the creation of a cultural park in Bo-

honiki, the aim of which is to strengthen the protection of

monuments located in the area, as well as to consolidate

the tourist potential of the village. In Kruszyniany, whose

rural layout along with ownership divisions is under con-

servation protection, there are plans to build industrial

poultry farms. To stop such investments, there are eorts

to establish a landscape park here, whose priority would

be both the protection of the surrounding nature of the

Knyszyn Forest and its multicultural heritage.

On the basis of collected source materials and con-

ducted eld research

, including architectural inventory,

photographic documentation and conversations with res-

idents, this text discusses the symbolism and richness of

the culture of Polish Tatars living in the villages of Bo-

honiki and Kruszyniany. They are examples of temporal

The author’s eld tests were carried out in 2020 and in July 2021 as

part of a scientic and research internship organized by the Faculty of Ar-

chitecture of the Białystok University of Technology in the Sokólski Poviat.

DOI: 10.37190/arc230108

Published in open access. CC BY NC ND license

86 Magdalena Sulima

continuum, both in spatial and spiritual aspects, and the ar-

chitecture found here serves as an identier of the cultural

landscape of the Podlaskie Voivodeship. The ethnic com-

munities living here have retained strong identication

with their roots and place of residence, cultivating tradi-

tions handed down from generation to generation. The ar-

ticle also discusses some of the legal issues concerning the

protection of the villages from the perspective of regula-

tions regarding the functioning of a cultural and landscape

park, as well as describes the actions taken in this area

by the residents themselves, local authorities and conser-

vation services. This is to draw attention to the problem

of comprehensive protection of monuments and cultural

heritage of Polish Tatars in the context of contemporary

civilizational changes and related landscape changes.

Podlaski Orient.

History of Tatars in Podlasie

The genesis of the name Tatar dates back to the 5

cen-

tury and comes from the name of Mongolian tribes, and

over time the people of Turkey. A few centuries later,

these tribes covered more than half of Asia and almost all

of Eastern Europe. After the collapse of the Mongol Em-

pire, the western part of their civilization transformed into

several independent states, including the Golden Horde.

Its inhabitants are the ancestors of Polish Tatars.

The history of Tatar settlements on Polish lands started

600 years ago. The rst settlements appeared in the terri-

tory of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the 14

century.

The settlers were mostly refugees and prisoners of war

from the Golden Horde

They settled in Podlasie thanks

to King Jan III Sobieski in the 17

century, serving in

the Polish army on many fronts. They were called Polish

Tatars, Lipka Tatars (Lipkowie from the Turkish name for

Lithuania) or Muślimi. In 1672, during the war with Tur-

key, the Tatars switched to the side of the enemy due to

non-payment of overdue fees by the Polish side. It was

Fig. 1. Location of mosques in Poland and Podlaskie Voivodeship (elaborated by K. Karwowska, K. Klepacka, P. Bartnicka, R. Adamska, 2021)

Il. 1. Lokalizacja meczetów w Polsce i województwie podlaskim (oprac. K. Karwowska, K. Klepacka, P. Bartnicka, R. Adamska, 2021)

the famous rebellion of the Lipka Tatars. Hetman Sobies-

ki, however, defeated the Turks and took the rebels back

despite their treachery.

For their bravery and devotion and as compensation

for unpaid dues, the king gave them land in the villages

of Drahle, Bohoniki, Malawicze Górne, Kruszyniany,

Górka and Nietupa. He gave the Tatars nobility, guaran-

teed freedom and allowed them to marry local women

and raise children in the Islam faith. However, they had

to adopt Polish surnames. Therefore, to this day, among

the Tatars, you can nd surnames ending in -ski and -cki,

e.g. Murawski, Popławski, Jasiński, or ending in -icz, e.g.

Szabanowicz, Szczęsnowicz, Szahidewicz. In addition to

military service, the Tatars were mainly engaged in land

cultivation, trade and tanning. In time, they began to build

their own temples [1, p. 57].

Cultural heritage of Polish Tatars

More than six centuries of common history has resulted

in the Tatars considering themselves Poles, all the while

maintaining their religion and traditions. In the village of

Kruszyniany, one can nd the Center for Education and

Culture of the Muslim Tatars in Poland, which introduces

visitors to the customs of this ethnic group. Every year,

numerous events are organized, during which the avors

of Tatar cuisine, colorful folk costumes, verbal and musi-

cal folklore and horse archery shows are presented.

However, the most important element shaping the Tatar

identity is undoubtedly religion. Islam is a religion that

has created a certain model of life among its followers, es-

tablishing ve basic precepts – pillars. The Islamic calen-

dar is dierent from the Gregorian calendar used by Pol-

ish Christians. For Muslims, the year starts from the date

of the pilgrimage of the Prophet Muhammad from Mecca

to Medina, that is, from July 15, 622 according to the Gre-

gorian calendar, and Muslims practice the lunar calendar.

Therefore, Muslim holidays do not have a xed date in the

 ProtectionofwoodenarchitecturemonumentsandtheculturalheritageofPolishTatars 87

calendar – they are mobile and are celebrated at dierent

times. The holiday season is a very important time for the

entire Muslim community and an opportunity to maintain

inter-generational ties. Families come from dierent parts

of Poland, and from even further, to celebrate and pray

together in the mosque [1, p. 71].

Mosques and mizars

in Bohoniki and Kruszyniany

In the village of Bohoniki six Tatar families live, that is,

about 30 people. The faithful pray in the mosque, which

was probably built in 1873. The date was discovered on

the door frame during the renovation of the building in

2006. It is a wooden building (because Tatars were only

allowed to erect such buildings), on a plan similar to

a square measuring 11.49 × 8.03 m, with a porch, covered

with a hipped roof with a turret, topped with a dome and

crescent moon (Fig. 2).

The object is oriented towards the south-east, towards

Mecca, the holiest city for Muslims. According to the re-

quirements of Islam, the interior of the mosque is divid-

ed into two sections: the larger section for males and the

smaller section for females, which, separated by a wooden

partition with a curtain, allows women to participate in

prayer. On the side where males pray, along the wall, there

is a gallery supported on two columns, where boys gather

to pray. Both rooms have separate entrances from the

common vestibule, where shoes should be left. It is an ex-

pression of hygiene and respect, as Muslims pray in ritual

purity (Fig. 3).

The interior of the main hall is decorated with muhirs

(from the Arabic muhir – seal), i.e. decorative fabrics

hanging on the walls with inscribed verses of the Koran

and motifs of climbing vines, and paintings depicting

places that are holy to Islam. However, there are no im-

ages of Allah, because unlike Christianity, in Islam there

is a total ban on depicting people and animals in religious

art. Carpets are laid on the oors, on which the faithful line

Fig. 2. View of the mosque

in Bohoniki from the side

of the mihrab

(photo by M. Sulima)

Il. 2. Widok na meczet

w Bohonikach od strony mihrabu

(fot. M. Sulima)

Fig. 3. Projection of the mosque in Bohoniki

(elaborated by K. Karwowska, K. Klepacka,

P. Bartnicka, R. Adamska, 2021)

Il. 3. Rzut meczetu w Bohonikach

(oprac. K. Karwowska, K. Klepacka, P. Bartnicka, R. Adamska, 2021)

up in rows and, facing the holy city of Muslims, pray in

Arabic. Prostrations are also made in this direction. In the

mosque, this direction is marked by the mihrab – a niche

in the wall, next to which there is a mimbar (from Arabic

– a place from which one calls, a hill), i.e. a pulpit (Fig. 4).

From there, dressed in a black robe (dżubie) and a head-

dress (czałma), the imam delivers a sermon [1, p. 59].

Another Tatar village in Podlasie, Kruszyniany, is lo-

cated near the border with Belarus. It was founded in

the 16

century, as part of the land reform carried out by

Queen Bona, the so-called spear measurements, as a ter-

raced village with houses set on the gable on both sides of

the main road. The historical spatial layout of the village

together with building complexes, ownership divisions

and road network was entered into the register of monu-

ments in 1979 and is under conservation protection.

88 Magdalena Sulima

and then in the years 1975–1976, 1992–1993 and 2004,

attempts were made to protect its original appearance, and

the elements requiring repair or replacement were repro-

duced as faithfully as possible to preserve the historical

architecture [5, p. 269]. In 1960, due to its historical and

cultural values and uniqueness on a national scale, it was

entered into the register of monuments of the Białystok

Voivodeship under number 62 [4, p. 24] (Fig. 5).

The mosque was built by local masters as a wood-

en structure with a log structure tied with a dovetail, on

a rectangular plan and painted green. It is decorated with

three towers: two symmetrical towers from the façade

Fig. 5. View of the front façade

of the mosque in Kruszyniany

(photo by M. Sulima)

Il. 5. Widok na elewację frontową

meczetu w Kruszynianach

(fot. M. Sulima)

The Tatar population began to settle here from the 17

century. In the interwar period, the village was inhabit-

ed by followers of as many as four religions: Orthodox,

Catholic, Muslim and Jewish faiths. Today, in addition to

eight Tatar families, Orthodox Christians and Catho lics

also live here. In the village there is an Orthodox church

located in the 18

-century cemetery and the oldest mosque

in Poland [1, p. 63].

Most likely, the building was built between 1768 and

1795 [4, p. 21]. In 1846, it underwent its rst renovation,

as evidenced by the embedded plaque in the foundation.

During the construction and conservation works in 1957,

Fig. 4. Cross-sections of the mosque in Bohoniki (elaborated by K. Karwowska, K. Klepacka, P. Bartnicka, R. Adamska, 2021)

Il. 4. Przekroje meczetu w Bohonikach (oprac. K. Karwowska, K. Klepacka, P. Bartnicka, R. Adamska, 2021)

 ProtectionofwoodenarchitecturemonumentsandtheculturalheritageofPolishTatars 89

side and a smaller one on the roof. They are topped with

bubble helmets ending in a crescent [1, p. 63].

As in the mosque in Bohoniki, the interior of the build-

ing is divided into two parts (for women and men), to

which separate entrances lead. Carpets are spread out on

the oors and muhirs adorn the walls (Fig. 6).

As Agnieszka Płocka noted, while the division and

layout of the building is dictated by the requirements of

Islam, the external appearance – the shape of the building,

the small number of decorations and the two towers in the

front façade resemble Catholic sacral architecture, […]

e.g.the church of theAssumption ofthe BlessedVirgin

MaryandSt.StanislaustheBishopinNarewfrom1755,

or the no longer existing 18

-century church in Mści-

bowo,intheGrodnoregioninBelarus [4, p. 14].

An important cultural element of the villages of Kru-

szyniany and Bohoniki are also Tatar burial places, or mi-

zars, which give visitors even more insight into the culture

of this ethnic group. The mizar in Bohoniki is the larg-

est Muslim cemetery in Poland. Located at the far end of

the village, set among large trees, it has existed there for

300 years, and the oldest tombstones date back to the 18

century. It can be accessed through a gate with a crescent

motif, on which there are inscriptions in Arabic, Belaru-

sian and Polish. In the vicinity of the gate there are newer

tombs, and further back there are older ones, on which

there are Arabic inscriptions and metal crescent moons on

the stones located at the heads of the deceased. In the oth-

er village, dating from the 2

half of the 17

century, the

mizar in Kruszyniany is located behind the mosque and it

is surrounded by a stone wall [1, p. 75] (Fig. 7).

Bohoniki Cultural Park

Bohoniki and Kruszyniany are villages that in histori-

cal, architectural, cultural and natural terms are important

points on the map of the Podlaskie Voivodeship. On the

one hand, they are unique on a national and even Euro-

pean scale, showing examples of wooden Muslim build-

ings combining Islamic traditions with local building art

Fig. 6. Cross-sections of the mosque in Kruszyniany (elaborated by K. Karwowska, K. Klepacka, P. Bartnicka, R. Adamska, 2021)

Il. 6. Przekroje meczetu w Kruszynianach (oprac. K. Karwowska, K. Klepacka, P. Bartnicka, R. Adamska, 2021)

[6]. On the other hand, they serve as proof of religious

tolerance of various cultures in the ethnic borderland of

Podlasie. The attractiveness of the places is additional-

ly emphasized by the possibility of “live” contact with

the

Tatar population, who actively cultivate and promote

their

values, and who for centuries have been inextricably

linked with the history of Poland.

Although the mosques and mizars located here are

monuments and, since 2012, hold the status of monuments

of history

, and the spatial arrangement of the Kruszynia-

ny village is under conservation protection, the changing

landscape and spatial transformations caused by industrial

activity may permanently change this state of aairs. This

became a reason for eorts to cover both villages with ad-

ditional, comprehensive protection. In both cases, it was

a question of an extended model of care so that, unlike the

other forms, […]The object ofprotection was notonly

amonument,butanareacomprisingacomplexofimmov-

ablemonumentstogetherwiththeirsurroundings,which

asa wholerepresents[…] urban, historicalor cultural

value[…] [8, p. 41].

For this purpose, a cultural park was established in Bo-

honiki on 28 May 2019. It was the rst cultural park in the

Podlaskie Voivodeship, which is meant to protect not only

the monuments subject to conservation care, but also the

surrounding environment. The need to strengthen the le-

gal protection of the villages was a consequence of invest-

ments planned here, which would have a negative impact

on the rural layout of the village. One of them is the loca-

tion of a gravel pit near the Tatar cemetery, as such spaces

are increasingly expanding around the village. Aggregates

The status of “monument of history” is awarded by the President

of the Republic of Poland to monuments immovable of particular his-

torical, scientic and artistic value, which are of signicant importance

for the cultural heritage. These should be objects under conservation

protection that are well preserved, have the original spatial composition

or have undergone slight transformations, present a homogeneous style,

are properly exposed in the landscape and have preserved their original

relations with the environment [7].

90 Magdalena Sulima

extracted from the gravel pits can threaten the durability

of the monuments found at the site, as well as have a de-

structive impact on the environment, distorting the terrain.

An important argument was also the protection of the

cultural heritage of Polish Tatars, both in terms of material

and spiritual heritage, which should not be left to survive

only in human memory. The Tatar community living in

the village cultivates its traditions, which translates into

tourist potential, which could be threatened by plans for

industrial activity in the area. As Barbara Tomecka, an ex-

pert in the eld of monument protection, emphasized, the

cultural park in Bohoniki deserves an extensive form of

protection: It’saboutpreserving[…]monumentsofTatar

culture […]viewsofthemosqueandmizars,protection

ofthespatiallayoutofthevillageofBohoniki,thearchi-

tecturalformsofbuildings (after: [9]). An important is-

sue concerning the village itself was also the unication

of newly created architecture and limiting the location of

large-format advertisements in the area.

In Europe, the need for comprehensive protection of

man-made and natural areas was highlighted in 2000 [10,

p. 206]. At the time, the European Landscape Convention

called for the legal recognition of landscape as an important

component of people’s surroundings, an area for expressing

cultural and natural diversity as the basis of their identity

[11]. As Mateusz Pszczyński pointed out, the solutions de-

veloped in Florence have only been partially implemented

by Poland into the legal order [10, p. 206]. It was not un-

til the Ustawazdnia23lipca2003r.oochroniezabytków

iopiecenadzabytkami [Act on the Pro tection and Care of

Monuments of 2003] that the con cept of cultural landscape

was dened. In accordance with Article 3 (14) of that law, it

is dened as […] aspacehistoricallyshapedasaresultof

humanactivity,containingtheproductsofcivilizationandna-

turalelements [12]. The act also introduces a new form of

monu ment protection, which is the cultural park. It aims to

protect […] culturallandscapesandpreservationof

land-

scape-distinctiveareaswithimmovablemonumentscharac-

teristicofthelocalbuildingandsettlementtradition [12].

In practice, a cultural park is an act of local law ap-

proved by the municipal council after a substantive opin-

ion issued by the provincial conservator. An important

element constituting the character of the park is the prepa-

ration of a plan for its protection and a plan for its man-

agement. The resolution on the establishment of a cultural

park should include: the name, the scope of the borders,

the method of protection and all restrictions that should be

precisely formulated

. Three months after the establish-

ment of the park, a local spatial development plan must be

drawn up [13]. Designed planning documents must take

into account all specic prohibitions and restrictions, and,

Article 17 acts on the protection and care of monuments lists the

following prohibitions or limitations in force: in the area of the cultur-

al park: carrying out construction works and industrial, agricultural,

breeding,commercialorserviceactivities;changesintheuseofimmov-

ablemonuments;placingboards,inscriptions,advertisementsandother

signsnotrelatedtotheprotectionofthepark,withtheexceptionofroad

signsandsignsrelatedtotheprotectionofpublicorderandsafety […]

and storageorstorageofwaste [12].

Fig. 7. Tombstones in the area

of the mizar in Kruszyniany

(photo by M. Sulima)

Il. 7. Nagrobne kamienie

na obszarze mizaru

w Kruszynianach

(fot. M. Sulima)

 ProtectionofwoodenarchitecturemonumentsandtheculturalheritageofPolishTatars 91

as Pszczyński emphasized, take into account the protec-

tion of specic, valuable features of the socio-architectur-

al space together with the natural context with which they

form a common valuable “cultural whole” [10, p. 212].

Important from the point of view of the inhabitants of

the area where the cultural park is to be created is the ap-

proval of the local community as to the establishment of

a protected area. The restrictions introduced in the resolu-

tion concern limiting the type of buildings or the type of

business activity permitted in the area, i.e. issues closely

related to the users of the space [10, p. 207]. Therefore, be-

fore adopting a resolution, it is necessary to make this fact

public, and within a period of not less than 21 days, inter-

ested parties may submit applications regarding the project.

In Bohoniki, the villagers initially disagreed with the

idea of creating a cultural park there. At the end of June

2018, on the initiative of the Podlasie Provincial Conser-

vator of Monuments, the rst meeting was held, which

was the beginning of further talks. A eld visit was carried

out to assess how far away from the mizar the gravel pits

were located and how they interfered with the landscape

of the village. Interestingly, during subsequent consulta-

tions, representatives of the Tatar community were also

among the opponents of this form of protection. Their

fears mostly resulted from ignorance and concerns about

the restrictions, including the need for agreement of the

conservator on the renovation or modernization of build-

ings in the protected area. It was then claried that the cul-

tural park would not entail any restrictions that would not

be set by the residents in agreement with the municipality

[14]. All restrictions resulting from the establishment of

the protection zone were to apply to new buildings, which

should be erected to t into the unied architectural com-

position of the village.

The Podlaska Voivodeship Conservator of Monuments

also proposed that if the idea of creating a cultural park

was not supported, it would be possible to protect the rural

layout of the village with conservation protection of the

village, similar to what is present in Kruszyniany, which

for residents would mean consulting all construction

works with the Oce for the Protection of Monuments

[15]. Another argument for establishing the park was to

support development and promotional activities. This form

of care is an added value in the case of eorts to obtain

sources of nancing, for example for tourist activities,

which is associated with an increase in the attractiveness

of the village.

After discussions with experts and subsequent consul-

tations, the project was approved, and in 2019 the Bohon-

iki Cultural Park was established. The initiative was sup-

ported by the authorities of Sokółka and provincial and

state institutions, including the Provincial Conservator

of Monuments, the Podlasie Voivode, representatives of

the National Heritage Institute and the Deputy Minister

of Culture and National Heritage [16]. The restrictions

approved by the residents and the municipality included

a ban on development of a viewing area around the mizar;

a ban on the extraction of mineral resources; a ban on the

storage of garbage and other waste; a ban on fencing real

estate with concrete or other such elements; a ban on the

building of production, industrial or warehouse buildings

in the area or conducting such business activities in this

area, with the exception of agricultural activities [17]. In

accordance with paragraph 4 of the resolution of the City

Council in Sokółka, an area of 57 ha was to be protected,

including the area of the village within the viewing zone

of the mizar and the historic mosque (Fig. 8).

After the adoption of the resolution, design work on the

protection plan and consultation work on the development

of a local spatial development plan began, which works

are currently at the stage of completion. The Local Spatial

Development Plan of the Bohoniki Cultural Park deter-

mines the purpose of the area and the principles of build-

ing and development in the protected area with respect for

traditional architecture. It concerns mainly visual aspects

and requires the construction of new buildings to be built

in homogeneous architectural form, the type of nish and

colors forming a coherent spatial whole [18]. As part of

the procedure, in-depth public consultations were carried

out, which consisted of presentations, debates, and an in

situ research walk. They were conducted by experts in the

eld of spatial planning and representatives of the Muni-

cipal Oce in Sokółka. Their aim was to reach the wid-

est possible range of interested persons and collect their

opinions, concerns and recommendations. Increasing the

level of public knowledge about the proposals given in the

development plan was extremely important for improving

investment and construction processes. Therefore, during

the meetings, the provisions of land use in the current plan

and changes that could occur were discussed [19]. Accord-

ing to the Act, the Sokółka Commune Oce is obliged to

submit the plan for public inspection and then submit it

for approval by the municipal council. Only then will it

be possible to issue decisions on development conditions.

Fig. 8. Boundaries of the Bohoniki Cultural Park (source: [17])

Il. 8. Granice Parku Kulturowego Bohoniki (źródło: [17])

92 Magdalena Sulima

Unfortunately, despite the legal protection of the Bo-

honiki Cultural Park, gravel pits continue to appear around

the village. On the basis of a compromise worked out with

the entrepreneur, the distance of the gravel pits from the

mizar area should be 207 m

. However, the park protects

only the area within its borders, not the surrounding mead-

ows or agricultural elds. Ustawazdnia9czerwca2011

rokuPrawogeologiczneigórnicze [The Act of 9.06.2011

– Geological and Mining Law] [20], gives entrepreneurs

the opportunity to dig and search for deposits. The lack of

specic legislative provisions in this matter is thus detri-

mental to the cultural landscape of Bohoniki, whose sur-

roundings increasingly resemble a lunar landscape.

Landscape park in Kruszyniany

In Kruszyniany, located in the heart of the forest com-

plex of the Knyszyn Forest, planned investment in an in-

dustrial poultry farm, at a distance of 1500 m from the bor-

der of the site under conservation protection, became the

reason for taking action to create a landscape park there.

The cultural values of the village are evidenced by the

fact that its layout was entered in the register of monu-

ments, and the mosque and mizar present there have the

status of a historical monument. In addition, these areas,

due to their unique natural values, are located within the

limits of European Natura 2000 protection, for which, in

accordance with the Ustawaz dnia 16 kwietnia2004r.

o ochronie przyrody [Nature Conservation Act of 2004]

[21], the following plans of protection were prepared: Na-

tura 2000 Puszcza Knyszyńska PLB200003 and Natura

2000 Ostoja Knyszyńska PLH200006. The Krynki Com-

mune, which includes the village of Kruszyniany, is also

subject to landscape protection under the Resolution of

the Podlaskie Regional Assembly on the “Wzgórza Sokól-

skie” Protected Landscape Area [22].

Industrial activities pose a signicant threat both to the

rural landscape – interfering and disturbing its exposition,

as well as to ora and fauna, including habitats of rare spe-

cies of animals and birds found in this area. This is also

associated with a decrease in the touristic attractiveness

of Kruszyniany and the exposure to economic losses for

rural residents, most of whom conduct activities connected

with tourism or gastronomy. However, the existing pro-

tective regulations do not prohibit industrial investment in

the area. The area entered in the register covers only the

historical layout of the village, and the plots intended for

poultry farms are open areas of elds and meadows – un-

developed, without agricultural activity. From the planning

documents in the possession of the municipality of Krynki,

the current list of conditions and directions of spatial de-

velopment from 2002 do not formulate specic prohibi-

tions as to the location of poultry farms in the area either

(it allows for the location of tourist services and ecologi-

cal agriculture); besides, it is not a legal act. The lack of

a local spatial development plan is an open door for such

Information obtained during an interview conducted in December

2022 with a representative of the City Hall in Sokółka.

investments. In addition, the applicable legal provisions

do not specify the meaning of large-scale industrial activ-

ity, such as large scale poultry farms, and would classify

it as agricultural activity. Since there are no regulations

specifying the dierence between farming and production

on an industrial scale, the municipal authorities issued de-

cisions permitting the development of such projects.

In turn, the residents of Kruszyniany, the Muslim Reli-

gious Community of Kruszyniany, as well as public ad mi-

nistration bodies, including the Podlasie Provincial Con ser-

vator of Monuments, Deputy Minister of Culture, Na tio nal

Heritage and Sport, General Conservator of Monuments,

the Ombudsman, as well as nature organizations and those

working for the benet of cultural and national minorities

(including WWF, Polish Society for the Protection of Birds,

Polish Angling Association, “Dzika Pol ska” Foundation,

Nietupa River Valley Association) have been postulating

for the creation of a landscape park here since 2019.

Article 16, point 1 of the nature conservation act

de-

nes a landscape park, […] as aprotected areaofnat-

ural,historicalandculturalvalueaswellaslandscape

valueinordertopreserveandpopularizethesevaluesin

conditionsofsustainabledevelopment [21]. In addition to

protecting the monuments present, it also protects the sur-

rounding area, guaranteeing a more extensive form of care

than a cultural park.

The creation of a landscape park takes place by way of

a resolution of the regional parliament. It should contain the

name of the park, the denition of the area, the placing of

borders and buer zone (if designated), the wording of pro-

hibitions and restrictions in force in the area and an outline

of the method of protection. The protection plan created

within ve years from the date of establishment of the park,

as an act of local law, should include: […] dening

the

boundariesoflandscapeprotectionzonesconstituting,in

particular,exhibitionforegrounds,axesandviewpointsas

wellasbuilt-upareasdistinguishedbytheirlocalarchi-

tecturalform [21]. It also lists sites of signicant histori-

cal and cultural importance. As restrictions in the protect-

ed area deeply interfere with the daily lives of residents,

it is important to ensure that they can participate in the

procedure for drawing up a draft conservation plan [21].

In the case of Kruszyniany, residents and representa-

tives of public institutions initially opted for the adoption

by the municipality of Krynki of a local spatial develop-

ment plan (zoning plan). The postulates, supported by the

Provincial Conservator of Monuments, were rejected due

to the costs. Therefore, the only chance for the villagers

to stop industrial investment was through the creation of

a landscape park.

As in the case of establishing the Bohoniki Cultural

Park, in Kruszyniany not all residents initially adopted

a consensus attitude regarding the delimitation of the pro-

Ustawazdnia16kwietnia2004r.oochronieprzyrody speaks of

the following forms of nature protection: national parks, nature reserves,

landscape parks, protected landscape areas, Natura 2000 areas, natural

monuments, documentation sites of inanimate nature, ecological sites,

natural and landscape complexes, protection of species of plants, ani-

mals, fungi and lichens [21].

 ProtectionofwoodenarchitecturemonumentsandtheculturalheritageofPolishTatars 93

tection zone. Their fears stemmed mostly from the pos-

sibility of restrictions and diculties in the functioning

of various businesses conducted by farmers and entrepre-

neurs living in the area. As the chairman of the Muslim

Religious Community of Kruszyniany assured, […] The

planned landscape park does not include agricultural

land,andfarmslocatedinitsterritorycancontinuetheir

activities

. Most residents, however, were aware that stop-

ping such industrial investment could protect not only the

monuments and nature of the area, but also protect their

source of income. This was conrmed by their solidarity

as to the legitimacy of a protection plan, which was to

put the village under the conservator’s care. The intro-

ducedrestrictionsdonotlimitinanywaythescopefor

thedevelopmentofinvestmentsintourismorgastronomy,

andthesupervisionexercisedbytheconservatorisaimed

atprotectingagainstactivitiesthreateningthehistorical

system

. In addition, the spatial method of protection [8,

p. 41], in the form of a landscape park, would help in the

promotion of local heritage, social activation, as well as

create opportunities for long-term development.

Work on the adoption of the landscape park has been

ongoing since 2020. According to the assumptions, it is to

protect the lands of three communes: Krynki, Michałowo

and Gródek. In their area there are currently about 60 ob-

jects entered in the register of monuments, which, as stat-

ed by the Podlasie Provincial Conservator of Monuments,

[…] Itisthebasisfortheprotectionofculturalheritage

ofnationalimportance [23]. The initial name of the park,

which is to have an area of about 15,000 ha, is the Świsłocz

Valley Landscape Park. Themainobjectiveoftheparkis

topreservethemosaicoflandscapesintheleft-bankpart

oftheŚwisłoczriverbasinlocatedbetweenitstributaries:

Jałówka and Nietupa, as well as historical and cultural

heritage resulting from the richness of cultures, nations

and religions, interpenetrating Belarusian, Polish, Tatar

and Jewish settlements [24]. The commission appointed

by the Marshal of Podlaskie Voivodeship collected full

documentation on the legitimacy of creating a protected

area in three municipalities, including examining the natu-

ral and cultural values of these places. The queries carried

out conrmed that […]mostelementsofnature,material

testimoniesofhistoryandobjectsofhighculturalvalueare

locatedinthecentralpartofthestudiedarea,limitedfrom

thenorthbytheNietupavalley,andfromthesouth–bythe

Kołodzieżankavalley,andthenfurthersouthbyanarrow

striptothesourcesoftheJałówkariver.Almost80%ofthe

analyzedareaisalreadysubjecttolegalprotection [24].

The vote of the regional parliament on the establishment

of a landscape park is planned after public consultations

and obtaining the necessary arrangements of the municipal

councils and the Regional Directorate for Environmental

Protection in Białystok [24]. Due to the current situation on

Based on an interview conducted in December 2022 with Bro-

nisław Talkowski – the chairman of the Muslim Religious Community

in Kruszyniany.

Based on an interview conducted in December 2022 with Bro-

nisław Talkowski – the chairman of the Muslim Religious Community

in Kruszyniany.

the Polish-Belarusian border and the state of the epidemic,

consultations and further procedures were suspended.

Conclusions

Tatars as an ethnic and religious minority have been

living in Poland for over 600 years. Bohoniki and Kru-

szyniany are the only centers of Islamic culture in Pod-

lasie that have preserved and cultivated their tradition.

The historic mosques and mizars located here are tangi-

ble witnesses of a turbulent history reaching far into the

past. The value of the places is also evidenced by the fact

that by the decision of the Polish UNESCO Commission

and the Minister of Culture and National Heritage, monu-

ments related to the culture of the Tatars have a chance to

be entered in the UNESCO world list

, which may be an-

other ennoblement on the world scale. These conclusions

provide the basis for broadly understood, holistic protec-

tion in terms of both socio-cultural and landscape values,

so that they continue to bear witness to the rich past from

which present and future generations will draw [4, p. 32].

As Marcin Wójcik rightly pointed out, two basic con-

texts can be distinguished in the process of such protec-

tion. The rst is related to the implementation of endoge-

nous functions, i.e. maintaining the memory and cultural

identity of local communities (in this case Polish Tatars)

as a condition for their further existence. The second con-

text refers to the requirements of modernity and related

civilizational changes. However, both constitute an insep-

arable and complementary approach, bearing in mind the

past, duration and change [25, p. 10].

On the example of the Bohoniki Cultural Park dis-

cussed in the text and the landscape park in Kruszyniany,

which is still in the process of gaining such status, it is

clear that thinking about the comprehensive protection of

monuments inscribed in the natural environment requires

complex activities and should involve the cooperation of

various entities, including conservation services, munici-

pal governments and the residents themselves. It also re-

quires will, commitment and, above all, social awareness.

Unfortunately, the provisions resulting from the legisla-

tion may also prove to be an important issue, especially

in terms of clarifying the importance of agricultural and

industrial activities, which do not allow for full protection

of sensitive areas. Protective measures should reconcile

the interests of all, in the service of the common good.

Only then is it possible to use special protection tools –

cultural and landscape parks, whose role is to limit the

scale and eects of activities degrading the values of cul-

turally and naturally valuable places.

Translatedby

AnielaStaszewska

The entry may have monuments from Poland, Lithuania and Be-

larus.

94 Magdalena Sulima

Abstract

Protection of wooden architecture monuments and the cultural heritage of Polish Tatars

(on the example of the Bohoniki Cultural Park and the landscape park in Kruszyniany)

The article discusses the symbolism and richness of the culture of the Polish Tatars living in the villages of Bohoniki and Kruszyniany, located in

Podlaskie Province. The centuries-old tradition, as well as the customs cultivated and maintained to this day by the Tatar population, are a treasure

trove of the history of times past and undeniable proof of the existence of geniusloci. Despite the unique architectural and cultural values presented

by both villages and the fact that the mosques and mizars located there are included in the national list of monuments and have been recognized as

monuments of history, the cultural landscape of the villages is exposed to changes and distortions as a result of the industrial investments planned

here. These activities will undoubtedly negatively aect the image of the village, both spatially, naturally and socially. One of the ways of protecting

Tatar culture has become the creation of a cultural park in Bohoniki, the purpose of which is to strengthen the protection of monuments located in its

area, as well as to consolidate the village’s tourist potential. In turn in Kruszyniany, the creation of industrial poultry farms is to be prevented by the

establishment of a landscape park, whose priority will be both the protection of the surrounding nature of the Knyszyn Forest, as well as the protection

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wsi, Wydawnictwo UŁ, Łódź 2017, 7–16.

Acknowledgements

TheresearchwascarriedoutaspartofworkWZ/WA-IA/3/2023atthe

BiałystokUniversityofTechnologyandnancedfromaresearchsubsidy

providedbytheMinistryofEducationandScience.

 ProtectionofwoodenarchitecturemonumentsandtheculturalheritageofPolishTatars 95

of the multicultural heritage of the village. The text also addresses legal issues of protection from the perspective of the regulations on the functioning

of the cultural and landscape park, as well as describing the actions taken in this regard by the residents themselves, local authorities and conservation

services. The aim of the text is to draw attention to the problem of comprehensive protection of monuments and cultural heritage of the Polish Tatars

in the context of modern civilization transformations and related landscape changes.

Key words: Tatars, cultural heritage, protection, cultural park, landscape park

Streszczenie

Ochrona zabytków architektury drewnianej i dziedzictwa kulturowego Tatarów polskich

(na przykładzie Parku Kulturowego Bohoniki i parku krajobrazowego w Kruszynianiach)

W artykule omówiono symbolikę i bogactwo kultury Tatarów polskich zamieszkujących położone w województwie podlaskim wsie Bohoniki

i Kruszyniany. Wielowiekowa tradycja, a także kultywowane i podtrzymywane po dziś dzień przez ludność tatarską zwyczaje stanowią skarbnicę

historii czasów minionych oraz niepodważalny dowód na istnienie genius loci. Pomimo unikatowych wartości architektoniczno-kulturowych, jakie

prezentują obydwie miejscowości, oraz faktu, iż znajdujące się tam meczety i mizary wpisane zostały na krajową listę zabytków oraz uznane za

pomniki historii, krajobraz kulturowy wsi narażony jest na przemiany i zniekształcenia w wyniku planowanych tam inwestycji przemysłowych.

Działania te mogą niewątpliwe negatywnie odbić się na wizerunku wsi, zarówno pod względem przestrzennym, przyrodniczym, jak i społecznym.

Jednym ze sposobów ochrony kultury tatarskiej stało się utworzenie w Bohonikach parku kulturowego, którego celem ma być wzmocnienie ochrony

zabytków znajdujących się na jego obszarze, jak również ugruntowanie potencjału turystycznego wsi. W Kruszynianiach z kolei zamierzenia powsta-

nia ferm przemysłowych drobiu ma powstrzymać powołanie tam parku krajobrazowego, którego priorytetem będzie zarówno ochrona otaczającej

przyrody Puszczy Knyszyńskiej, jak i wielokulturowego dziedzictwa. W tekście poruszono też prawne kwestie ochrony z perspektywy przepisów

dotyczących funkcjonowania parku kulturowego i krajobrazowego oraz opisano działania, jakie w tym zakresie podjęli sami mieszkańcy, władze

samorządowe i służby konserwatorskie. Ma to na celu zwrócenie uwagi na problem kompleksowej ochrony zabytków i dziedzictwa kulturowego

Tatarów polskich w kontekście współczesnych przemian cywilizacyjnych i związanych z nimi zmian krajobrazowych.

Słowa kluczowe: Tatarzy, dziedzictwo kulturowe, ochrona, park kulturowy, park krajobrazowy