Editing Białystok (section)

==Military garrison==
[[File:20191111 125359 Wojskowa Komenda Uzupełnień w Białymstoku.jpg|thumb|Military Drafting Office located in the historical Nowik Palace]]
The construction of the [[Saint Petersburg–Warsaw Railway]] which passed through the city and was the strategic nerve of the 
[[Russian Empire]], resulted in the rising of the military importance of the city: In 1879, construction of the barracks of the Włodzimierski Infantry Regiment began (currently it is the area of the [[Voivodeship Hospital in Białystok|Voivodeship hospital]] between Wojskowa, [[Marie Curie|Skłodowskiej-Curie]] and Wołodyjowskiego Streets). In 1884, barracks of the Kazan Infantry Regiment were established at Traugutta Street in [[Osiedle Wygoda, Białystok|Wygoda]]. In 1887, barracks of the Mariampole Dragon Regiment were erected at 100 Bema Street. In 1890, the barracks of Kharkov Uhlans Regiment were built at Kawaleryjska Street.<ref>{{cite web|title= Od kolei do Wielkiego Białegostoku|date= 10 February 2017|url= https://plus.poranny.pl/od-kolei-do-wielkiego-bialegostoku/ar/11779591|format= url|access-date= 2019-12-17|language= pl|archive-date= 2019-12-17|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20191217201658/https://plus.poranny.pl/od-kolei-do-wielkiego-bialegostoku/ar/11779591|url-status= live}}</ref>

Throughout the [[interwar period]] and the existence of the [[Second Polish Republic]], the city enjoyed the presence of the [[42nd Infantry Regiment (Poland)|42nd Infantry Regiment]] (barracks at Wygoda), [[10th Lithuanian Uhlan Regiment]] (Kawaleryjska Street) and the [[14th Horse Artillery Divizion (Poland)|14th Horse Artillery Divizion]] (Bema Street), the command of the [[Podlaska Cavalry Brigade]] and spare center (Skłodowskiej-Curie street, then Piwna), units of the [[Polish Armed Forces (Second Polish Republic)|Armed Forces of the Second Polish Republic]].<ref>{{cite web|title= Wysoki Stoczek. Reduta to pomnik chwały tych, którzy chcieli podjąć walkę, uratować honor miasta.|url= https://poranny.pl/wysoki-stoczek-reduta-to-pomnik-chwaly-tych-ktorzy-chcieli-podjac-walke-uratowac-honor-miasta-zdjecia/ar/5244920|author= Poranny Kurier|date= 13 September 2009|format= url|access-date= 2019-12-18|language= pl|archive-date= 2019-12-18|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20191218193710/https://poranny.pl/wysoki-stoczek-reduta-to-pomnik-chwaly-tych-ktorzy-chcieli-podjac-walke-uratowac-honor-miasta-zdjecia/ar/5244920|url-status= live}}</ref>

[[File:8555 Święto Wojska Polskiego in Białystok August 2022.jpg|thumb|left|[[Armed Forces Day (Poland)|Polish Armed Forces Day]] celebration at [[Kościuszko Market Square]] in 2022]]
During December 1993 an order of the Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces created the 18th Mechanized Brigade ({{langx|pl|18 Brygada Zmechanizowana}}) at the garrison in Białystok.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> The unit was formed from the 3rd Mechanized Regiment ({{langx|pl|3 Pułk Zmechanizowany}}) and was subordinated to the commander of the [[1st Mechanised Division (Poland)|1st Warsaw Mechanised Division]] ({{langx|pl|1 Warszawskiej Dywizji Zmechanizowanej im. Tadeusza Kościuszki}}).<ref name=ReferenceA/> On 31 December 2001, as a result of the restructuring of the Armed Forces, the 18th Mechanized Brigade was disbanded and in its place was created the 18th Territorial Defense Battalion.<ref name=ReferenceA>{{cite web| title = Dziennik Urzędowy Ministra Obrony Narodowej, 2009| url =http://www.bip.mon.gov.pl/pliki/file/DZIENNIKI%20URZEDOWE/2010/Skorowidz%202009.pdf| access-date = 2011-04-15| language = pl| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20120119124729/http://www.bip.mon.gov.pl/pliki/file/DZIENNIKI%20URZEDOWE/2010/Skorowidz%202009.pdf| archive-date = 2012-01-19}}</ref> 31 December 2001, as a result of the restructuring of the Armed Forces, 18th Mechanized Brigade ({{langx|pl|18 Brygada Zmechanizowana}}) was disbanded and in its place created the 18th Territorial Defense Battalion ({{langx|pl|18 Białostocka Brygada Obrony Terytorialnej}}).,<ref name=ReferenceA/> itself reorganized into the [[18th Reconnaissance Regiment (Poland)|18th Reconnaissance Regiment]] ({{langx|pl|18 Pułk Rozpoznawczy}}) of the [[Polish Land Forces]] is based in Białystok.

The Cavalry Brigade "Białystok" (BK "Białystok") of the [[Polish Armed Forces (Second Polish Republic)|Polish Army of the Second Republic]] was formed in February 1929. On 1 April 1937, BK "Białystok" was renamed the [[Podlaska Cavalry Brigade]] ({{langx|pl|Podlaska Brygada Kawalerii}}).<ref name="Miroslaw Giętkowski 1939">{{Cite book| last = Giętkowski| first = Miroslaw| title = Riding the Polish Army Artillery 1918–1939| publisher = Adam Marszałek| year = 2001| location = Toruń| isbn = 83-7174-823-X| language = pl}}</ref><ref name="ReferenceB">{{Cite book| last = Jurga| first = Tadeusz| title = Polish Army: a brief informant history of the Polish Army during World War II| publisher = Ministerstwa Obrony Narodowej| year = 1975| location = New York| language = pl}}</ref> Its headquarters was located in Białystok and operated as part of [[Independent Operational Group Narew]].<ref name="ReferenceB"/> It was formed from the Cavalry Brigade "Białystok", which existed between February 1929, and 30 March 1937.<ref name="Miroslaw Giętkowski 1939"/> After the [[Soviet invasion of Poland]], remnants of the Brigade fought both [[Wehrmacht]] and [[Red Army]] troops, capitulating on 6 October 1939.<ref name="ReferenceB"/>