ka ; ▁, ▁H ach nov ka ) ▁is ▁a ▁town ▁and ▁a ▁powiat ▁seat ▁in ▁north - e astern ▁Poland ▁( Pod l ask ie ▁Vo iv odes hip ) ▁with ▁ 2 1 , 4 4 2 ▁inhabitants ▁( 2 0 1 4 ). ▁It ▁is ▁the ▁capital ▁of ▁H ajn ów ka ▁County . ▁The ▁town ▁is ▁also ▁notable ▁for ▁its ▁proxim ity ▁to ▁the ▁B iał owie ż a ▁Forest , ▁the ▁biggest ▁prim ae val ▁forest ▁in ▁Europe . ▁Through ▁H ajn ów ka ▁flows ▁the ▁river ▁Le ś na ▁P raw a ▁( be : ▁Л я с ная ▁Пра вая ). ▁It ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁cent res ▁of ▁Orth odox ▁faith ▁and ▁a ▁notable ▁centre ▁of ▁Bel arus ian ▁culture ▁in ▁Poland . ▁Bel arus ians ▁compr ised ▁ 2 6 . 4 % ▁of ▁the ▁town ' s ▁population ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 2 . ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁five ▁Polish / Bel arus ian ▁b iling ual ▁G mina ▁in ▁Pod l ask ie ▁Vo iv odes hip ▁reg ulated ▁by ▁the ▁Act ▁of ▁ 6 ▁January ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁on ▁National ▁and ▁Eth nic ▁Minor ities ▁and ▁on ▁the ▁Regional ▁L anguages , ▁which ▁perm its ▁certain ▁gmin as ▁with ▁significant ▁lingu istic ▁minor ities ▁to ▁introduce ▁a ▁second , ▁auxili ary ▁language ▁to ▁be ▁used ▁in ▁official ▁context s ▁alongside ▁Polish . ▁ ▁History ▁For ▁a ▁more ▁detailed ▁history ▁of ▁B iał owie ż a ▁and ▁the