Up to 1500 Polish streets could be given new names in a bid to banish traces of the communist era in the country, if a bill drafted by the ruling Law and Justice party is approved.

Warsaw, Poland.

Warsaw, Poland. Image by Juan Antonio F. Segal / CC BY 2.0

Many of the more obvious examples were changed following the fall of communism in 1989, but the current government believes that there are still too many Soviet-inspired street names in existence. While ministers in favour of the plan say that celebrating criminals’ is not acceptable, others are nervous of further exacerbating the growing tensions between Poland and Russia; Russian officials are already said to be ‘outraged’ that several Soviet monuments in Poland have been moved to less prominent locations, while others have fallen into a state of disrepair. If the bill is passed, local authorities will be granted two years to amend the street names in question. telegraph.co.uk