"We are taking spyville over, we want to give it to our Ukrainian guests," Trzaskowski said at the site. Radek Pietruszka/PAP
A Russian-owned real estate complex in Warsaw will be given to Ukrainian war refugees, the city’s mayor said on Monday, after it was confiscated.
Rafal Trzaskowski told reporters that the site, popularly dubbed "spyville", was officially appropriated by the city of Warsaw from its Russian owners on Monday morning.
"We are taking spyville over, we want to give it to our Ukrainian guests," Trzaskowski said at the site.
Andryi Deshchytsia, Ukraine's ambassador to Poland, told PAP the complex may be used for a school or a Ukrainian culture centre.
The complex, which in the communist era housed Russian embassy staff, contains over a hundred flats. Warsaw authorities have said the flats may be given to Ukrainian families with children who have lost their homes due to Russia's invasion of their country.
cauchy37 on April 11st, 2022 at 16:01 UTC »
Someone made a mural on the building of a Polish and Ukrainian flag, lol
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Jana+III+Sobieskiego+100,+00-764+Warszawa,+Poland/@52.1972122,21.0404129,3a,75y,15.51h,46.89t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAF1QipOvH1wTwXUNQa9jBzgzVcRliR31REUoGxFYQieg!2e10!3e11!6s (check the 360 camera)
tty5 on April 11st, 2022 at 14:13 UTC »
It was disputed if it belonged to Russia (Polish courts said no several years ago), but there was no effort made to evict them.
Now with the attack on Ukraine Polish foreign ministry no longer had any qualms about getting rid of them.
Fun fact - this place was commonly known as "Szpiegowo" - roughly translates to Spyville.
Wezyrek_ on April 11st, 2022 at 13:42 UTC »
Funny fact: we still call that part of town “Szpiegowo” - Spyville ;)