Welcome To Mordor

Commonly known as Mordor, a sub-section of Warsaw has now seen two of its streets christened Gandalfa and Tolkiena…

Originally heralded to go under the name of Pirytowa and Tytanowa, the newly-constructed streets were given names inspired by Lord of the Rings after locals swayed councilors to choose something a little more evocative than initially planned. Given the area’s wider moniker, Mordor, the choice of street names seemed a natural step to take.

Found in Służewiec, the Mordor handle that the district is now widely-known under as has entered common Warsaw lexicon and refers to the area directly in and around Domaniewska, Cybernetyki, Wołoska and Marynarska streets. Once teeming with industrial plants, these were

And Then There’s…

replaced in more recent years by a rich spread of office blocks. However, with approximately 100,000 workers commuting to this micro-district each day, it soon gained a reputation for its soul-crushing office monoculture – before long, employees had taken to calling the area Mordor, a cheeky allusion to their thankless work.

Curious as these names are, they join a long line of other Warsaw oddities seemingly named out-of-the-blue.

ul. Lennona

Named after the Beatle, find Lennona marking the border of Osiedle Jazdów. A quaint oasis of timber cabins, the Bohemian atmosphere of this tiny residential quarter made it the natural finish point for a commemoration to mark the first anniversary of John Lennon’s death. Attended by pot-smoking artists singing Give Peace A Chance, it was they that gave this previously unnamed street its nickname. Ten-years later, War- saw’s street-naming panel voted to make it official. ul. Kubusia Puchatka

What’s not to like about a street named after Winnie the Pooh – or, in Polish, Kubusia Puchatka. Named so in 1956, the title was awarded following a poll held among children by a local newspaper called Express Wieczorny. Winnie topped the vote and today a plaque depicting the bear holding hands with Piglet can be found on the street. ul. Tomcia Palucha

Awarded its name in 1979, Tom Thumb street is one of the great mysteries of Warsaw. Quite why it was named so appears to have alluded even the most ardent of Warsawophiles –from what we’ve found, it owes its title to residents that had demanded a name that would not be easily forgotten. You could say they got their wish.