Podolsky

Podolsky, Podolskiy (Russian: Подольский; Polish: Podolski; Ukrainian: Подільський, Podilskyi) is a Slavic toponymic surname meaning “from Podolia” or “of Podolia.” Podolia is a historic region in the southwest of present-day Ukraine, once part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and later empires; the name has spread as a demonym for people or places associated with Podolia across Russia, Ukraine, and Poland.

Podolsky District is an administrative district (raion) of Moscow Oblast, Russia. Its administrative center is the town of Podolsk. The district includes urban and rural settlements and lies to the southeast of Moscow.

Podolsky, Podolskaya, and Podolskoye are used for several rural localities in Russia, reflecting the adjectival form of Podolsky. The toponym appears in various regions and often denotes a connection to Podolia or to the town of Podolsk.

In science and history, the surname is borne by Boris Podolsky, a physicist who co-authored the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen paradox, a famous critique of the completeness of quantum mechanics. The name also appears in other academic and cultural contexts, typically indicating a Slavic origin or association with Podolia.

See also Podolia (Podillya), the historical region that inspired the name, and Podolsk, a city in Moscow Oblast that has given rise to the district and several locality names bearing the Podolsky form.