Belfort supporting its sister city: the French street gets a new Ukrainian name, ”Rue de Zaporizhzhia”

Our sister city of Belfort, France, continues to demonstrate its support for Zaporizhzhia, not only by assisting us with humanitarian aid but also through solidarity actions.

Zaporizhzhia, not Zaporozhye — just like Kyiv is not Kiev, and Odesa is not Odessa. “Zaporozhye” is a transliteration from the Russian name of our beloved city. Though popular since the Soviet era, this transliteration is now associated with Ukraine’s tragic Russification.

As a gesture of support and recognition of Ukrainian national identity, our partner city Belfort has initiated the renaming of a street from its Russian-transliterated “Rue de Zaporozhye” to the correct Ukrainian transliteration “Rue de Zaporizhzhia”. This renaming honors the twinning relations between the two cities.

This symbolic gesture of solidarity is deeply touching and significant for the citizens of Zaporizhzhia.

We sincerely appreciate the concern and assistance from our friends in Belfort. Together, we are stronger and will overcome any challenges.