Kaliningrad region

How is it doing today

Kaliningrad the former Königsberg of the Easter Prussia would celebrate in 2015 its 760 years anniversary.

Founded in 1255 by the Teutonic Order of knights, the city was called Königsburg and was capital of Germany's East Prussia until Soviet troops took it over in 1945. Dictator Josef Stalin expelled ethnic Germans from the area and renamed the city to Kaliningrad in honor of a prominent Bolshevik, Mikhail Kalinin. Since the Soviet Union disintegrated in 1991, the approximately 1 million people in the region have been cut off from the rest of Russia, and they have felt even more alone since Lithuania and Poland's entry into the European Union last year. Visa restrictions introduced by the EU have complicated Kaliningrad's contacts with its neighbors.

Today nearly 60 years after the area has been taken over by the Soviets, it is pretty neglected, Russian Government does not have any clear developing plans for the region, that is also troubled by rampant smuggling and drug use and has one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS in all of Russia.

Kaliningrad

Kaliningrad area in 1939

Kaliningrad area in 2012

Königsberg in 1938

Nazi troops leaving the Königsberg in April 1945

Soviet troops accepted Nazi’s capitulation of the Königsberg area the 9th of April 1945After the final shelling by the Soviets in April 1945 90% of the city was destroyed

Soviets taking Nazi prisoners (April 9, 1945)

The last civilians leaving the Königsberg area (April 1945)

Foreign tourism to Kaliningrad region (2011)

Germany 50%

Poland 18%

Baltic States 15%

Scandinavian States 9%

Byelorussia 4%

Other countries 4%

Reasons of travelling to Kaliningrad region (2011)

Curonian Spit - is a 98 km long, thin, curved sand-dune spit that separates the Curonian Lagoon from the Baltic Sea coast.

Curonian Spit National Park is a beauty of nature and an enclave of the old times

Ef dune at the Curonian Spit National Park

There are very few original attractive buildings left or restored in Kaliningrad Here is the Lutheran church of the Holy Family

(1904, arch. F. Heitmann) (Reconstr. In 1980)

KaliningradLutheran church of Queen Louise(1901, architect F. Heitmann)

KaliningradHistorical monuments:The Cathedral

The site of the house of the famous philosopher

Kaliningrad-Local Philharmony in the Church of the Holy Family

The old fortressMain objects of fortress route:

The Dona tower

The Royal gates

A street of the Old Kaliningrad

Rural areas in Kaliningrad region

Kaliningrad area has thousands of hectares of the undrained waste land

Rural areas in Kaliningrad regionThere are more than 60 homesteads for rural development purposes. Most of

the land lies fallowIn 2010 few Danish farmers started breeding pigs and growing grain in the area,

however the restrictions and formalities make it still very difficult.

Kaliningrad-Remainings of the Prussian architecture

Kaliningrad-Remainings of the Prussian architecture

Kaliningrad-Remainings of the Prussian architecture

Kaliningrad-Remainings of the Prussian architecture

Kaliningrad-Remainings of the Prussian houses

Kaliningrad-Graffitti in the town

Kaliningrad-Remainings of the Prussian houses

Some of the old damaged buildings have been restored Here the reestablished “Fishing Village”

The forgotten people of Kaliningrad

The forgotten people of Kaliningrad

The forgotten people of Kaliningrad

In Kaliningrad there are lots of empty, decrepit spaces where drunks and feral dogs make their home.

Kaliningrad- a street tradesman

The forgotten people of Kaliningrad - Russian veterans of the WW II

Who really won this war ?

Kaliningrad- Is there any future ?

2001 witnessed several new initiatives to assistKaliningrad, both from the EU and Russian sides. Even though

the commitment of Brussels will be periodic (due to the rotating presidency), the action undertaken gives cause to be moderately optimistic. And, whereas the new federal program is based on an

erroneous analysis of the real obstacles to growth, the Kremlin seems at last willing to adopt new initiatives. So finally in 2010 there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel for Kaliningrad.

However, whether that light flickers like candlelight or shines like neon will depends on crucial improvements strongly supported

by Moscow that sooner or later will have to be confronted.