Kaliningrad

Until 1945

The city was founded on a hill on the high right bank in the lower reaches of the Pregolya river on the site of the Prussian settlement Twangste ( Prussian: Twangste ) on September 1, 1255 as a castle by the knights of the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order Poppo von Ostern and the Czech king Przemysl Otakar II , whose troops came to the aid of the victims defeats from the local population by knights, who, in turn, were invited to Prussia by the Polish king to fight the pagans.

Königsberg Assault

The assault on the city of Konigsberg by Soviet troops during the East Prussian operation during World War II began on April 6, 1945 ^[16] .

The battle for Fort No. 5 “King Friedrich-William III ”, guarding the northwestern approaches to the city ^{[17], was} especially fierce. During the assault by the Red Army under the command of the Marshal of the Soviet Union A.M. Vasilevsky , the tactics of starting an infantry attack before the end of artillery preparation were used for the first time, which avoided enemy fire on the approach to the fortifications and caught the garrison of fortifications by surprise. The flip side of the coin was the significant loss of assault forces from the fire of their own troops - ongoing artillery fire. Among others, great guards suffered heavy losses. The memory of them was subsequently immortalized in the monument " 1200 guardsmen ", located in the city center on Guards Avenue. And on April 9, 1945, the Red Banner was raised over the Der Dona tower, where the Amber Museum is now located, marking the end of German city history ^[18] .

Joining the USSR

By the decision of the Potsdam Conference of 1945, the northern part of the German province of East Prussia , together with its capital Königsberg , was temporarily transferred to the USSR ^[15] . Later, when signing the border treaties , the Konigsberg region was fully recognized as the possessions of the Soviet Union.

There remained 20,000 of the 370,000 German residents who lived in the city before World War II . Although, immediately after the war, work began on adapting the Germans to a new life - the newspaper "New Time" was published in German , schools were organized where teaching was in German - a decision was made to deport the German population from the Kaliningrad region to Germany , where almost all of them were sent by 1947 ^[19] . Only some specialists helped restore the work of enterprises in the city and the region until 1948 and even until 1949 , but they were not given the opportunity to obtain Soviet citizenship , and subsequently they were deported to Germany, as well as forcibly evicted from other territories lost by Germany according to the results of the Second World War . Instead, Soviet citizens were relocated to the city ^[20] .

On July 4, 1946, after the death of the “All-Union Warden” M. I. Kalinin , the city of Königsberg was renamed Kaliningrad in his honor by the Decree of the Presidium of the USSR Supreme Soviet , although Kalinin had no direct relation to this city ^{[21] [22]} , and The cities of Kalinin (now Tver ) and Kaliningrad in the Moscow region (now Korolev ) were already on the map of the country.

After the war, the city began to be populated rapidly, production was restored. But the city had a semi-closed status in connection with the strategic position and the abundance of troops. For foreigners, the city was completely closed and, with the exception of rare friendship visits from neighboring Poland , was hardly ever visited by foreigners ^{[23] [24]} .

The authorities paid no attention to the heritage of German culture . The old city was not restored , and the ruins of the castle were demolished in the late 1960s, despite the protests of architects, historians, local historians and just residents of the city ^{[25] [26] [27]} .

Current status

The changes of the 1990s associated with the collapse of the USSR laid the foundation for a new stage in the development of the Kaliningrad region. In October 1996 , elections were held for the mayor of the city ^[28] , and then the governor of the Kaliningrad region, the upsurge of public life began.

Since 1991, the city ​​has been open for international cooperation with foreign countries, primarily with Germany and Poland , in the field of business, culture and education.

The city has many foreign institutions that provide the necessary information, administrative and visa support for the city ^[29] , including:

• Visa Application Centers in Italy, Spain, Malta, Austria, Bulgaria, Norway, Switzerland, Holland, Czech Republic, Sweden, Slovenia and Finland ^[30]
• Branch of the Embassy of the Republic of Belarus in Russia
• Consulate General of Germany
• Consulate General and Visa Application Center of the Republic of Poland
• Consulate General of the Republic of Lithuania
• Kaliningrad branch of the Consulate General of Sweden in St. Petersburg
• Office of the Consular Section of the Embassy of the Republic of Latvia in Russia
• Honorary Consuls of Armenia, Greece, Denmark, Italy, Tajikistan, France and Croatia
• Representation of the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce in Kaliningrad
• Office of the Danish Project Coordination Advisor
• Center of German Culture "German-Russian House"
• Polish cultural and business center

Repeatedly raised the question of returning the city of the name Königsberg. In 2009, the head of the Kaliningrad administration, F. F. Lapin , advocated the return of the city to its historical name ^[31] . In September 2011, the governor of the Kaliningrad region, N. N. Tsukanov, said that the issue of renaming could be resolved by referendum ^[32] , but he himself was a supporter of the current name of the city ^[33] .

Until 2010, Kaliningrad had the status of a historical settlement, but by order of the Ministry of Culture of Russia dated July 29, 2010 No. 418/339 the city was deprived of this status, as were hundreds of other cities ^[34] .

Kaliningrad was recognized as the best city in Russia in 2012, 2013 and 2014 according to the rating of Kommersant Secret Firma magazine ^{[35] [36]} ; the most beautiful city in the country according to RBC ^[37] . The best city of Russia for business according to Forbes magazine rating ^[38] .

In 2018, Kaliningrad became one of the host cities of the World Cup .

The city is located on both banks of the Pregol River, not far from its confluence with the Kaliningrad Gulf of the Baltic Sea. The terrain is flat, but the northern part of the city is located on a higher bank. There are many hydrographic objects in the city: Nizhny and Upper ponds (two streams flow into the Upper Pond. The Blue Stream ( German Wirrgraben - Steep Ditches) flows into the pond in the vicinity of Yunost Park. The second stream is Molodezhny Stream ^[1] ( German river Beydfitter ^{[ 2]} ) flows into a pond near Tolstoy Street.), Float , Lake Lesnoye , a chain of former quarries near the village named after Alexander Kosmodemyansky ( Svalka , Lake Beloe), Letniy pond, ponds in South Park , on Guards Avenue and others; many streams. From the Upper Pond flows Park Stream, which is a tributary of the Pregol. Part of the water of the Upper Pond flows through the cascade into the Lower Pond .

Geographical position

Time Zone

In accordance with the applicable time and geographical longitude ^{[41], the} average sunny noon in Kaliningrad begins at 12:38.

Climate

The climate of the city ​​is transitional from maritime to continental . According to the Köppen climate classification - Dfb. Thanks to the influence of the Gulf Stream, winters are warmer than in the mainland of Eurasia. As a rule, spring comes earlier, and autumn is somewhat slower than in the mainland at the same latitude. The spring season in Kaliningrad is long and usually begins in late February – early March, when the average daily temperature begins to regularly exceed 0 ° C. Due to its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, summer in Kaliningrad is moderately cool and begins, on average, on June 11th. Climatic autumn comes in early September and coincides with the calendar in terms of time. It is also lingering. In mid-December, the average daily temperature drops below 0 ° C, autumn ends and a mild Baltic winter sets in.

• The average annual temperature is +7.9 ° C, but in recent years there has been a steady trend towards its increase, and in 2001–2011 it was already +8.4 ° C ^[42] .
• The average annual wind speed is 2.2 m / s
• The average annual humidity is 79%

At the beginning of 2018, the population of the city amounted to 475,056 ^[74] people.

At the beginning of 2019, the population of the city amounted to 482,443 ^[75] people.

As of January 1, 2019, in terms of population, the city was in 40th place out of 1,115 ^[76] cities of the Russian Federation ^[77] .

National composition

According to the 2010 census:

The city of regional significance is divided into three intracity administrative regions: Leningradsky , Moscow and Central . ^{[79] [80] [81]}

From 1996 to 2007, the Kaliningrad Charter of Kaliningrad dated September 25, 1996 was in force in accordance with which local governments were:

• the head of the city (mayor) - the highest official of the city;
• City Hall (executive and administrative body);
• City Council of Deputies (representative body).

In 2007, as a result of the reform of local self-government , the functions of local self-government bodies were changed, and a new position was introduced - the head of administration.

Currently, power in the city is exercised on the basis of the Charter, which was adopted by the City Council of Deputies of Kaliningrad on July 12, 2007.

The highest official of the city is the head of the city district "City of Kaliningrad", elected in municipal elections for a term of 5 years. At the same time, he is the head of the administration of the city district. Since April 2018, the head of the city is A.N. Silanov ^[82] .

In 2008-2012, the local government body performing executive and administrative functions was the administration of the city district, headed by the head of the administration (city manager). The head of the administration was appointed by the decision of the district Council of Deputies following the results of the competition. May 14, 2008 for a period of 2 years, F. F. Lapin was appointed to this position. On June 15, 2011, deputies of the Kaliningrad District Council approved the position of the head of the city administration, S. B. Mukhomor (she is currently the first deputy head of the city administration) ^[83] .

Representative power in the city is exercised by the Council of Deputies of the city of Kaliningrad, consisting of 27 deputies elected by the residents of the city according to the majority system in single-mandate constituencies for a period of 5 years. The Chairman of the Council is elected by deputies from among its members.

The Kaliningrad Administration and the Council of Deputies are located in the city hall at the address: Victory Square , 1 ^[84] .

After the collapse of the USSR, the city experienced a general economic crisis for all of Russia, which dragged on due to the weakened state of the manufacturing sector, as well as the remote semi-exclave position of the Kaliningrad region. The entry into force of the Federal Law on the Special Economic Zone ^[85] softened the economic crisis, but could not completely eliminate it.

Since about 1999, one can speak of a small economic recovery of the Kaliningrad region ^[86] , caused by the general increase in economic stability in Russia as a whole, as well as the growth of international investments and the favorable geopolitical position of the region. Production was restored at the important enterprises of the region - the car-building plant (1998), the Yantar shipyard (the former Shikhau shipyard), Kaliningradgazavtomatika (KGA). Fundamentally new for the region production have been created in the region. For example, the automobile company Avtotor (1996) appeared in Kaliningrad, collecting cars under the licenses of BMW concerns (Germany), KIA (Korea), General Motors (USA) ^[87] .

The freight turnover of the railway, sea ​​trading and fishing ports is growing. Oil terminals located in the water area of ​​the sea ​​channel provide export from Russia to the countries of Western Europe and Scandinavia more than 2 million tons of oil products per year.

Hotels

In Kaliningrad, there are currently 109 hotels and hotels of various categories, 13 of which are four-star and 37 three-star, and there are also many low-budget hostels in the city ^[88] . In preparation for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, 4 hotels were built, including one 5-star hotel: Crystal House Apart Hotel. In 2013, about 165 thousand people visited hotels in Kaliningrad ^[89] . According to the rating of the tourist service Trivago, hotels in Kaliningrad as of 2016 are the best in Russia ^[90] .

Roads

Kaliningrad is a large motor transport hub. The most important roads suitable for the city :

• A229 Kaliningrad - Chernyakhovsk - Nesterov - the border of the Republic of Lithuania (to Minsk , Smolensk ). It is part of the branches of trans-European transport corridors No. 1-A “Riga - Kaliningrad - Gdansk” and No. 9-D “Kiev - Minsk - Vilnius - Kaliningrad", Part E 28 and E 77 .
• A216 Gvardeysk - Neman - the border of the Republic of Lithuania . The route from the village Talpaki, through Bolshakovo to Sovetsk . It is part of the branch of the trans-European transport corridor No. 1-A “Riga - Kaliningrad - Gdansk”. Part E 28 .
• Kaliningrad - Mamonovo . Through Ladushkin to the Polish border (to Elblag , Gdansk ). Part E 28 and E 77 .
• Kaliningrad - Polessk . It should be through the village. Bolshakovo (hereinafter referred to as Sovetsk )
• Kaliningrad - Zelenogradsk (further along the Curonian Spit to Nida and Klaipeda .
• Kaliningrad - Baltiysk . The highway runs through Primorsk .
• Kaliningrad - Bagrationovsk . Leads to the Polish border (further to Olsztyn ).

In December 2007, construction began on the Primorsky Ring highway, which currently connects Kaliningrad with Svetlogorsk , Pionersky , Zelenogradsk and Khrabrovo international airports . It is planned to continue construction on Baltiysk, Svetly .

Around the city (from A. Kosmodemyansky to a traffic intersection with Moskovsky Prospect) there is a route of the Northern Bypass of Kaliningrad and the Southern Bypass of Kaliningrad (from the transport interchange with Moskovsky Prospect inclusive to the village of Shosseinoe (Kaliningrad-Mamonovo highway), called Bolshoi The Ring Road Until now, the “ring” of the road has not been closed on the western side of the city of Kaliningrad due to the lack of a 7-kilometer crossing across the Kaliningrad Gulf .

Road Transport

Kaliningrad is one of the most motorized cities in Russia ^[91] . As of 2013, almost 200 thousand cars were registered in Kaliningrad ^[92] . At the same time, more than 300 thousand cars move around the city every day ^[93] . The share of foreign cars is more than 85% ^[91] . The used car market consists of 99% foreign cars, 57% of which are older than 10 years ^[94] . The most popular brand on the secondary market is Mercedes-Benz , followed by Volkswagen , Audi and BMW ^[95] . The average annual sales of new cars is estimated by experts at the level of seven thousand units per year ^[95] .

Water Transport

Kaliningrad has the westernmost and only ice-free port of Russia and the Baltic states on the Baltic Sea . Freight and passenger ferry crossings connect the city ​​port and the port - the seaport of Baltiysk - with St. Petersburg , the ports of Germany and Sweden .

As of April 2019, only a cargo ferry operates on the route Baltiysk - Ust-Luga, the passenger ferry was canceled ^{[96] [97]} .

Air Transport

Königsberg Devau Airport , which opened in 1919 , became one of the first civilian airports in the world and the first in Germany ^[98] . In 1922, Moscow - Riga- Königsberg, the first international airline of the Soviet Union, arrived here for the first time. After the war, the airport was used for local flights until the 1970s.

In the fifties, 24 kilometers from the city, a new airport was built on the basis of a military airfield - Khrabrovo . Now it has international status. Kaliningrad Airlines KD Avia was based on Khrabrovo, which ceased operations in September 2009 . The reconstruction of the airport was completed in 2018 .

Rail Transport

Kaliningrad is the most important node of the railway network of the Kaliningrad region. Here is the administration of the Kaliningrad Railway .

The main passenger railway station of the city is Kaliningrad-Passenger , to which the main railway station of the city and the region - the South Station. This station serves both suburban and long-distance trains from Kaliningrad:

• No. 30 Moscow " Amber "
• Number 80 St. Petersburg
• No. 148 Moscow (summer period)
• No. 360 Adler
• No. 426 Chelyabinsk (summer period)

The direct train Berlin- Kaliningrad (via Poland) ran from 1993 to 2000, then was replaced by a direct train that ran on the Kaliningrad- Gdynia train from December 2003 to December 2009 and in 2010-2013 (in summer), with re-attachment in the Polish city of Tczew . A platform with a “European” gauge was specially equipped to receive these trains, which allows trains to run on this message without rearranging the wheelset.

Kaliningrad-Severny Station (North Station) serves trains connecting Kaliningrad with the seaside resorts Zelenogradsk , Svetlogorsk and Pionersky , as well as the city of Sovetskiy . It is a major transport hub in the Kaliningrad public transport system.

Other railway stations located in the city:

• Kutuzovo-Novoe (district of Alexander Nevsky street)
• Chkalovsk-West ( Chkalovsk village)
• Zapadny-Novy (district of the carriage building street)
• Lesnoe-Novoe ( village named after Alexander Kosmodemyansky )
• Dzerzhinsky-New (district of Dzerzhinsky street, there is a European narrow gauge)
• Stop point Aivazovsky (in the area of ​​Aivazovsky and Yamskaya streets)
• Stop Kievskaya (district of Kievskaya street, near the Baltic market)
• Selma Stop (General Chelnokov Street and Selma Market)
• Stop point 4th kilometer (area of ​​Muromskaya street, Yuzhny settlement)
• Stop point Brusnichnaya (area of ​​Brusnichnaya street)

Intercity and international bus service

Regular bus routes connect Kaliningrad with Belarus , Ukraine , Lithuania , Latvia , Estonia , Poland , the Czech Republic and Germany .

There are two bus stations in the city. The "old" bus station is located on Kalinin Square, near the Kaliningrad-Passenger railway station and is used primarily for intraregional traffic.

Due to a conflict with the station’s management, the Königavto trucker stopped using this bus station and set up its own international bus station at the end of Moskovsky Prospekt. Over 90% of regular international bus flights depart from it.

Transit Issues

After Poland and Lithuania joined the European Union in May 2004, residents of the Kaliningrad Region encountered difficulties crossing borders and traveling to the rest of Russia ^[99] . Travel by land from or to the region is associated with a double crossing of the EU border, usually Lithuania, but there are routes through Latvia. For travel, you will definitely need a passport .

For Russian citizens, simplified transit is possible:

• Citizens of the Russian Federation (and only them), following the transit in trains of the formation of the Russian Federation by an employee of the consular service of Lithuania, upon prior request, which the Russian Railways cashier sends to the Lithuanian Embassy, ​​upon purchase of a ticket, a double permit is issued ( FRTD - Facilitated Rail Transit Document; aka UPD- Railway - a simplified travel document on the railway), valid for three months, for transit by train through the territory of Lithuania, for a maximum of 6 hours in one journey (regular train transit time is about 3.5 hours). When following the territory of Lithuania, you cannot leave the trains.
• Citizens of the Russian Federation (and only them) living in the Kaliningrad region, but having close ties with the main territory of the Russian Federation (real estate, relatives, labor relations) and vice versa, may be issued a permit ( FTD - Facilitated Transit Document; aka UTD - a simplified transit document) for a period of up to 3 years for multiple transit of Lithuania in transit for a maximum of 24 hours per entry.

Citizens of the Russian Federation traveling to the Kaliningrad Region and not eligible for FTD (FTD) must have a valid Schengen visa. This also applies to third-country nationals who are not eligible for visa-free travel through the EU.

City public transport

Kaliningrad's public transport is represented by a bus , trolleybus , tram , minibus , and city ​​rail lines . On March 21, 2010, a new public transport scheme came into effect. ^[100]

The tram network in Kaliningrad has existed since 1895 and is the oldest tram system in Russia. It has a track width of 1000 mm , which is similar to the tram systems of Yevpatoriya and Pyatigorsk . Until 2000, at least ten routes of the city tram operated in Kaliningrad, however, over the past twenty years, the route network has been significantly reduced. ^[101] By the beginning of 2013, only two routes were operating in the city. In 2015, after changing the traffic pattern at the South Station , the last tram route No. 5 remained. In accordance with the newly adopted General Plan of Kaliningrad, the construction of a tram line with a separate traffic section in the Moscow region is envisaged until 2035.

The first trolleybuses appeared in Konigsberg in 1943, but after the war they decided not to restore the trolleybus movement. The modern trolleybus system of the city has been operating since November 5, 1975 ^[102] . During this time, the route network in Kaliningrad has repeatedly changed. After repairing the overpass on Victory Avenue, conducted in the summer of 2018, route No. 6, which ran from Gaidar St. to the village named after him , was canceled . Cosmodemyansky . As a result of this, there are three existing trolleybus lines in the city, although six routes were provided for by the new public transport route scheme adopted on August 1, 2016. ^{[103] The} master plan of the city until 2035 also provides for the development of a trolleybus network in Kaliningrad.

Kaliningrad City Train (Railbus)

On March 26, 2014, the first line of the city rail bus was launched in Kaliningrad, serving the route from the Kievskaya platform in the Moscow region to the North Station . At the same time, a pick-up bus route was organized connecting Oleg Koshevoy Street with the Kievskaya platform. It is announced the opening of several more lines of the city ​​railway , which should connect the center of Kaliningrad with the peripheral areas of the city. ^{[104] [105]}

In December 2016, the mayor of Kaliningrad, Alexander Yaroshuk, announced that from January 1, 2017, the city rail would be canceled due to its unprofitability. ^[106] After which, Governor Anton Alikhanov made an operational decision to subsidize the railbus from the regional budget. ^[107]

In early January 2017, the Kaliningrad Railway press service announced that it was planned to extend the rail line to Chkalovsk . ^[108]

On January 9, 2017, city trains along the Kaliningrad-Guryevsk route were launched, and from September 3, 2018 along the Kaliningrad-Lesnoye New route.

As of the end of 2018, rail buses serve four inner-city lines connecting peripheral sleeping areas and the satellite town of Guryevsk with the center of Kaliningrad. A large transport hub is the North Station , located next to Victory Square , in the area of ​​which many urban public transport routes converge. Passengers are transported by rail buses of models RA1 and RA2 , manufactured by OJSC Metrovagonmash . City trains run on weekdays in the morning and evening rush hours.

Bridges

The Pregol River branches divide the city into four parts. Most of the city (Central and Leningrad administrative districts) is located north of the river, the Moscow region - south of the river. The island of Kant ( Kneiphof ) and October (Lomse) are located between the arms of the river.

In Kaliningrad, there are eight active bridges across the Pregolya and one dismantled.

• The two-tier bridge is a drawbridge that connects the streets of General Butkov (north coast) and Zheleznodorozhny (south coast). Divorced by raising the middle span. The upper tier of the bridge is occupied by the railway, the lower - the roadway and pedestrian sidewalks. The bunk bridge is the only active railway bridge across the Pregolya in Kaliningrad.
• An overpass bridge — thrown over both arms of Pregolya and passes over the Kneiphof island, is part of Leninsky Prospekt , built in 1972 ^{[109] to} replace two of the seven bridges of Königsberg - Lavochny and Zeleny . There is a pedestrian descent from the bridge to the island, a car exit to Moskovsky Prospekt . There is no car exit to the island. The bridge runs routes of all types of public transport.
• The wooden bridge is a drawbridge, one of the seven bridges of Königsberg. Connects Moscow Avenue with October Island (October Street). Two tram routes run along the bridge.
• The Honeybridge is a drawbridge, one of Konigsberg’s seven bridges. Connects October Island and Kneiphof. Since Kneiphof is a pedestrian zone, the de facto bridge is also exclusively pedestrian. From time to time, the bridge is used by official vehicles (transportation of materials for the restoration of the Cathedral , as well as for the passage of wedding processions).
• Jubilee Bridge - a movable, pedestrian bridge, connects October Island (the area of ​​the Fish Village ) with ul. Epronovskaya . Built in 2005 on the pillars of the old Imperial Bridge, destroyed during the war.
• The High Bridge is one of the seven bridges of Konigsberg. Connects st. October (October Island) from the street. Dzerzhinsky. A tram line runs along the bridge.
• Berlin (Palmburg) bridge - is part of the Kaliningrad ring road, spread over both channels of the Pregol. The most remote from the city center. After the war, it was only partially restored (one lane). At present, a three-lane bridge, reconstructed in 2014, has been built in its place.
• The old railway bridge is a drawbridge located in the area of ​​the Museum of the World Ocean. Divorced by raising the middle span. The middle span is dismantled, the bridge is not used in any way. An abandoned railway line passes through the bridge.
• The second flyover bridge was put into operation in December 2011. The bridge crosses both channels of the Pregol and passes over Oktyabrsky Island, connecting April 9th ​​Street in the right-bank part of the city with Dzerzhinsky Street in the left-bank part. The total length is 1883 m. The bridge has three lanes in each direction. The estimated speed of vehicles is not lower than 80 km / h.

Seven Königsberg bridges existed in Königsberg in the 16th – 20th centuries . The mutual arrangement of the bridges prompted mathematician Leonhard Euler to think, which led to the emergence of graph theory . Also connected with these bridges is the problem of seven bridges of Königsberg.

Education

Today in Kaliningrad there are 21 higher educational institutions (together with branches of universities of other cities), of which the state are:

• The Kaliningrad branch of the St. Petersburg University of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, previously the Kaliningrad Law Institute of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia (CJI), and even earlier - the Kaliningrad Higher School of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, which was formed on the basis of the Kaliningrad Special Secondary School of Police of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the USSR.
• Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University . Until 2011 - Russian State University. I. Kant. Kant's name was given on the eve of the celebration of the 750th anniversary of the city in 2005. Earlier - Kaliningrad State University (KSU). It occupies the buildings of the former German University of Koenigsberg .
• Baltic State Academy of the Fishing Fleet (BFFSA). Until 1991 - Kaliningrad Higher Marine Engineering School (KVIMU).
• Kaliningrad State Technical University (KSTU). Earlier - the Kaliningrad Technical Institute of the Fishing Industry and Economy (KTIRPiH).
• Kaliningrad Border Institute of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation . Earlier - Kaliningrad Higher Engineering School of Engineering Troops named after A. A. Zhdanov (KVIUIV).
• The Baltic Naval Institute named after F. F. Ushakov, now a branch of the military training and scientific center of the Russian Navy "Admiral Fleet Academy of the Soviet Union N. G. Kuznetsov." Earlier - Kaliningrad Higher Naval School (KVVMU).

Kaliningrad also has a branch of the North-West Academy of Public Administration and National Economy, from secondary schools - three gymnasiums, six lyceums and forty-seven comprehensive schools. There are educational institutions of secondary vocational education: Kaliningrad Regional College of Music named after S. V. Rachmaninov, Kaliningrad State College of Urban Planning , Kaliningrad Marine Fishery College and others; in the IFC them. I. Kant included Kaliningrad Technical College , Communal Construction College. In addition, there is one cadet corps - KSHI "Andrew the First-Called Cadet Naval Corps" (APKMK) ^[110] .

Museums

There are many museums and a large number of their branches in Kaliningrad.

• Museum of the World Ocean
• Kaliningrad Regional Museum of History and Art
• Amber Museum
• Kaliningrad Art Gallery
• Friedland Gate

The Kaliningrad Regional Museum of History and Art is the oldest museum in Kaliningrad, founded in 1946 . In addition to the main building, the museum has four branches in Kaliningrad (including Blindazh and Fort No. 5 ) and two in the region.

In 1979, an amber museum was opened in the building of the former Dona defensive tower. Initially, it was a branch of the Museum of History and Art, since 2004 it has been an independent museum.

The Kaliningrad Art Gallery , which opened on November 24, 1988 , is one of the youngest and most dynamically developing museums in Russia, known both in our country and abroad. In eight exhibition halls with a total exhibition area of ​​more than 3 thousand m², up to 40 exhibitions of domestic and foreign art are held annually.

At the end of the 20th - beginning of the 21st centuries, the Museum of the World Ocean , unique for Russia, was phased in, with interesting exhibits and six museum vessels:

• Research vessel-museum "Vityaz" ;
• Submarine B-413 ;
• Space communications vessel Cosmonaut Victor Patsaev ;
• Museum fishing vessel "SRT-129" ;
• Floating lighthouse "Irbensky";
• Icebreaker "Krasin" - moored in St. Petersburg.

The branches of the museum are the Royal Gate and the preserved gate of the Friedrichsburg Fortress .

A museum of "found things", that is, ancient objects found during the cleaning of lakes and the construction of houses, was created. It is located at the Friedland Gate , which in themselves is an ancient monument.

In 2009, the Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann Museum, a famous writer born in this city, was created. The museum is located in the building of the former cinema "Leningrad", now in this building is the district music school named after Hoffmann.

On June 5, 2016, the Einstein Museum of Entertaining Sciences was opened on the ground floor of the Mega-Market Shopping Center, the exposition of which consists of interactive exhibits that clearly illustrate various fields of science and demonstrate the manifestation of their laws ^[111] .

In 2013, nearly 920 thousand people visited the museums of Kaliningrad ^[89] . By the level of museum attendance, the Kaliningrad region is in 7th place among the regions of Russia ^[112] .

Theaters and Concert Halls

There are several theaters in the city:

• Kaliningrad Regional Drama Theater
• Kaliningrad Regional Musical Theater
• Kaliningrad Regional Puppet Theater
• The organ hall of the Kaliningrad Regional Philharmonic is located in the historic building of the former Catholic Church of the Holy Family .
• A large concert hall with two organs is located in the Cathedral on the island of Kneiphof.
• Variety Theater is located in the House of Arts on Mount Haberberg .

The musical life of the city is rich and diverse. During the year, annual music festivals of various styles and trends are held. Under the patronage of the Kaliningrad Regional Philharmonic , international festivals and competitions of classical, jazz, and organ music are held (dedicated to I. S. Bakh and M. L. Tariverdiev ). Since 2006, the international jazz festival Don Cento Jazz has been held in the summer. The city also hosts two major rock festivals: the Night Wolves bike show (July) and Kaliningrad In Rock (August). The Baltic Seasons Arts Festival is held annually.

In 2013, nearly 350 thousand people visited Kaliningrad theaters ^[89] .

Libraries

• Kaliningrad Regional Scientific Library
• Central City Library A.P. Chekhov
• Kaliningrad Regional Youth Library named after V. Mayakovsky
• Kaliningrad Regional Children's Library named after A.P. Gaidar
• Kaliningrad Regional Specialized Library for the Blind

Also, the city has 20 municipal city libraries. As of 2015, more than 100 thousand residents of Kaliningrad regularly visit the libraries of the city ^[113] .

Cinemas

• Cinema "Dawn" (located in the building of the former German cinema "Scala")
• Multiplex "Karo Film" (located in the shopping center "Kaliningrad Plaza")
• Cinema complex "Cinema Park". Built on the site of the previously demolished cinema "Russia"
• Kinopleks "Epicenter"
• Automobile cinema "Night Watch"
• Autocinema "West Cinema"
• Cinema complex “Kinoland” (reconstructed cinema “Rodina”, building of the former German cinema “Likhtbildbyune”)
• Cinema complex "Equator" (located in the microdistrict "Selma")

Inactive cinemas

• The largest concert hall of the city "Russia" (1200 seats), demolished in 2011.
• Cinema "Barricades" (transferred to the church and destroyed in 2013)
• Cinema "Leningrad" (now it is the building of the Hoffmann Children's Music School)
• Cinema "Victory" (the former German cinema "Apollon-Lichtshpille", now the building houses a restaurant and a supermarket)
• Cinema "Builder"
• Cinema "Sunrise"
• Cinema "Screen"
• Yunost Cinema (closed in the 70s)
• Cinema "Moscow"
• Stereo cinema "News of the day." Located in the same building with the cinema "Dawn"
• Cinema "October" (the current "House of Arts")
• Druzhba Cinema, a children's cinema, was housed in the same building as the Rodina Cinema.

Media

Radio stations

Television

The Kaliningrad television studio has existed since 1958 with its own frequency channel and 6-7 hour daily broadcasting, then it was called Yantar Broadcasting Company. Currently, it has lost its channel and most of the airtime, is a branch of VGTRK .

The main broadcasting channels of the city:

• 4 First channel
• 6 Russia 24 / Cascade
• 9 Fifth channel
• 12 Russia 1
• 22 Star
• 24 TNT
• 27 Russia K / TRK "Dunes"
• 32 Yu
• 34 STS / Cascade
• 39 NTV
• 49 TV Center / Premier
• 51 Match TV
• "Cascade" ^[114] - the company was founded in 1991, in addition to its programs broadcast TNT broadcasts. Currently, network partners are Russia-24 and STS .
• The first city channel ^[115] - has been operating since December 2009, a cable channel.

Other television companies of the city are engaged only in advertising on retransmitted all-Russian channels.

Digital television

The first multiplex of digital television in Russia

• First channel
• Russia 1
• TV Center
• NTV
• Fifth channel
• OTR
• Match tv
• Carousel
• Russia To
• Russia 24

The second multiplex of digital television in Russia

• Star
• World
• REN TV
• TNT
• STS
• Home
• TV3
• Friday!
• Muz TV
• Spas

Sport

In Kaliningrad, the Russian football club Baltika is based, playing in the National Football League . Home Stadium - Kaliningrad Stadium , built for the 2018 World Cup .

In 2006-2013, the Dynamo Yantar men's volleyball club played in the Russian Championship . Home games were held in the Yantarny Sports Complex, whose spectator stands accommodate 7,000 spectators. Since 2010, Yantarny regularly hosts matches of the Russian national teams within the framework of the World League and Grand Prix for volleyball .

In the past, the city in the Russian arena was also represented by the football clubs Vest , Baltika-2 and Baltika-Tarko , as well as the rugby club Vest-Zvezda ( winner of the 1994 Russian Cup, winner of the 1994 and 1995 Russian championships) . In 2000, the Volna football club took part in the Lithuanian championship in the third most powerful league and won in the western zone (22 games: 20 wins, 2 draws, goal difference 101–9) ^{[116] [117]} .

Since November 2013 in the city there is an American football team “Amber Hawks”. In 2015, Amber Hawks reached the semifinal of the Polish League 8x8 ^[118] . In 2016, Amber Hawks won silver medals at the prestigious Eastern American Football League (WLAF) ^[119] .

In June 2014, the Kaliningrad Regional Hockey League (KRHL) was created. League competition is the official Kaliningrad region ice hockey championship .

April 9, 2018, when in Kaliningrad at a press conference with the participation of the Governor of the Kaliningrad Region Anton Alikhanov , Minister of Sports of the Kaliningrad Region Natalya Ishchenko, President of the All-Russian Volleyball Federation Stanislav Shevchenko and Director General of VK Lokomotiv (Novosibirsk) Roman Stanislavov, the creation of a female volleyball team "Lokomotiv-Kaliningrad region". According to the results of the 2018-2019 season, the club took 2nd place in the Russian Championship, losing one point to the leader - the Dynamo-Moscow team.

2018 FIFA World Cup in Kaliningrad

Kaliningrad became one of the eleven host cities of the World Cup (June 14 - July 15, 2018) in Russia . In the city, at the Kaliningrad stadium , built specifically for the 2018 World Cup, there were 4 matches of the group stage of the tournament, which in total were attended by 132,249 spectators.

Religion

The parishes of the Kaliningrad diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church located in the city of Kaliningrad are included in the City Deanery of the Kaliningrad Diocese, the largest of the 5 deaneries of the region. In Kaliningrad, there are about 50 Orthodox churches and chapels, including the Cathedral Church of Christ the Savior . In 2010, the mass transfer of the buildings of the former Lutheran and Catholic churches and ancient Teutonic castles to the ownership of the Russian Orthodox Church took place; since 2014, financing of the maintenance of part of the transferred property has been allocated to the budget. ^[120]

General architectural appearance of the city

The historic center of the city was destroyed in 1944-1945. Three stages of the destruction of the center can be distinguished: massive bombing by Anglo-American aviation in August 1944; the assault on the city by Soviet troops in April 1945; the demolition of the ruins and parts of the surviving buildings, which began in the first post-war years and continued until the mid-seventies of the XX century ^[121] .

Of the 13368 pre-existing residential and public buildings and structures of the city as of November 1, 1948, 8355 buildings were destroyed, which amounted to 62.4% of the total city development ^[122] . As of November 1, 1948, the smallest surviving multi-storey buildings (7.2%), but preserved 59% of cottages and 68% of two-story buildings ^[122] . As a result, with rare exceptions, almost no pre-war buildings were preserved in the center. The surviving German buildings remained closer to the outskirts, in the areas of Amalienau (the area of ​​Lesoparkova, Yanalova, Prospect Mira), Ratshof (the area between Prospect Mira, Engelsa and Vozdushnaya Streets), Maraunenhof (area of ​​Telman Street), the village of North Mountain.

The city center was built up with five-story "Khrushchevs", later - 8-10-story panel houses. The most notable building built during the Soviet period was the House of Soviets .

In the last third of the 20th century, attitudes towards German architecture began to change, some of the German buildings that had been preserved until then were restored: the Holy Family Church (like a concert hall); Queen Louise memory church (like a puppet theater); Königsberg Stock Exchange (as the Palace of Culture for Sailors). The Cathedral was later restored, the historical House of Technology was reconstructed (as a large shopping center).

On the occasion of the city's anniversary in 2005, the reconstruction of Victory Square (the former Hanseatic Square) was carried out - the de facto main square of the city. The Triumphal Column has been erected; near the square a new cathedral was built in 2006 - the Cathedral of Christ the Savior ; near the square, shopping and entertainment centers "Europe" and "Clover House" with the Radisson Hotel were built.

In 2007, an international project seminar (Workshop) was held on the topic “Prospects for the development of the central part of the city of Kaliningrad ^[123] ”, during which various options for the reconstruction of the historical center of the city were discussed, including the reconstruction of the pre-war development of the central quarters ( Altstadt and Kneiphof ) and construction on the old foundations of the Königsberg castle . The seminar resulted in a consolidated decision to hold an international competition ^[124] . In the future, it is planned to restore the " Max Ashmann Park ".

In 2010, the status of a “historical city” was removed from Kaliningrad, which facilitated the conditions for the destruction of historical buildings.

In 2012, it was decided to launch a large-scale restoration program for the historical center of Kaliningrad called “The Heart of the City ” ^[125] .

As of 2013, in Kaliningrad 54.4% of the total number of pre-war apartment buildings. In addition, the share of German villas and mansions for one family is 36.6% of the total number of similar individual individual buildings ^[126] . The share of paved streets is 13.2% ^[126] .

As of 2016, the construction of the Fish Village , a quarter built in the style of the old Königsberg is ongoing (in 2007 the construction of the first stage was completed).

In 2018, the Kaliningrad Arena stadium was built. It is located on October Island, near the embankment of the Staraya Pregolya River. The stadium capacity is 35 thousand seats.

Famous buildings of Kaliningrad

By the end of the 20th century, the Cathedral in Kaliningrad , which now houses the cultural and religious center, was almost completely restored. There you can hear concerts of sacred and organ music. Two organs are installed in the cathedral, including the largest organ in Europe restored according to old drawings ^[127] . In the towers of the cathedral are the Orthodox and Lutheran chapels, as well as expositions dedicated to the history of the Kneiphof island, the German philosopher Immanuel Kant and, in fact, the Cathedral . The cathedral (the first mention dates back to 1333 ) was the main temple of Koenigsberg and is now one of the main attractions of Kaliningrad.

In addition to the Cathedral in Kaliningrad, nine pre-war churches have survived. The Juditten Kirche (now the Orthodox St. Nicholas Cathedral) is the oldest building preserved in Kaliningrad. It was founded in the 13th century. All other surviving former temples of German time are much younger and belong to the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th centuries.

•  

  Organ Hall of the Regional Philharmonic. Former Holy Family Church

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  Holy Cross Cathedral . Former Church of the Cross (Kreuzkirch)

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  Church of the Protection of the Holy Virgin. Former Church of Rosenau

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  Kaliningrad Marine Fishery College . Former St. George's Hospital

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  Regional Puppet Theater. Former Queen Louise Memory Church

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  The building of the FSB. Former Police Presidium

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  Headquarters of the Baltic Fleet . Former Imperial Post Office Building

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  High Bridge Swing Building

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  The building of " Yantarenergo ". Former Postal Settlement Office

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  Residential building on Leninsky Prospekt . Former Office of the Imperial Railways

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  Triumphal Column with the Order of Victory and the Cathedral of Christ the Savior

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  Pregolya River in Kaliningrad

Fortifications

Königsberg was founded as a castle and remained a fortified city until the end of World War II . To this day, the elements of the Second Gross Circuit of the city, built in the 1850s, and the ring of forts - the end of the 19th century are preserved.

The most famous buildings of the Second Val District:

• seven neo-gothic city ​​gates
• defensive towers " Wrangel " and " Don "
• Kronprinz defensive barracks (towers and barracks are sometimes mistakenly called forts)
• Astronomical Bastion - named after its proximity to the former Bessel Observatory.

The Royal Gate was a symbol of the 750th anniversary of the city, celebrated in 2005 . Now they have a museum. The Amber Museum is located in the Dona Tower. In addition to the gates, towers and barracks, several less significant elements of the Second Valve Circuit were preserved : redoubts , bastions .

All forts have been preserved, but Fort No. 1 - Stein and Fort No. 11 Dönhoff have been accessible since September 2015. In the future it is planned to create a museum in Fort No. 3 - King Frederick William I. Fort No. 5 - King Frederick William III - is a branch of the Kaliningrad Regional Museum of History and Art . On the territory surrounding the fort, a war memorial was organized in memory of Soviet soldiers who died during its assault. Nearby are Soviet guns and Katyusha .

Main monuments erected in the city.

• Among the lost there is a monument to I.V. Stalin, which stood in 1952−1958 on Victory Square (a monument to V.I. Lenin was then erected on its pedestal), and from 1958 to 1962 on Teatralnaya street (now there is a monument on this spot “Mother Russia”) ^[128] (sculptor E. Vuchetich )
• Monument to Immanuel Kant (1992, an exact copy of the lost work of Christian Rauch of 1864)
• Monument to the Duke Albrecht (2005, copy of the lost monument to the sculptor Friedrich Reusch 1891)
• Monument - Fountain “Putti” (1908, sculptor Stanislav Kauer )
• Monument to Friedrich Schiller (1910, sculptor Stanislav Kauer)
• The sculpture " Fighting Bison " (1911, sculptor August Gaul )
• Monument to 1200 guardsmen (1945, project manager Yu. Mykonas )
• Monument to V.I. Lenin (1958, sculptor V. B. Topuridze )
• Monument to M.I. Kalinin (1959, sculptor B.V. Edunov )
• Monument "Mother Russia" (1974, sculptor B.V. Edunov)
• Monument to the “Pilots of the Baltic” (1974, architects V. M. Borisov, A. I. Garanin, M. T. Suslov)
• Memorial sign to the Baltic sailors (1978, sculptor V.V. Morgunov)
• Monument to fishermen (1978, sculptors M. M. Gershburg, M. D. Duniman) and the monument to St. Nikolai the Miracle Worker in front of him (sculptor S. M. Isakov, opened in 2010 ^[129] )
• Memorial sign "Cosmonauts-compatriots" (1980, sculptor B.V. Edunov)
• Memorial sign to tank soldiers on General Sommer Street (1980, architects S.P. Miroshnichenko and V.I. Yakutin)
• Monument to pilots of the Normandy-Neman squadron (1984, rebuilt in 2007, sculptor Oleg Salnikov)
• Memorial sign to the Komsomol heroes who died during the assault on Koenigsberg in the South Park (1988, sculptors A.N. Kostanov, L.G. Ponomaryova)
• Monument to Alexander Pushkin (1993, sculptor M.K. Anikushin )
• Monument to M.I. Kutuzov (1995, sculptor M.K. Anikushin )
• Monument to the soldiers-internationalists (1998, sculptor L. G. Ponomaryova)
• Monument to Marshal Vasilevsky (2000, sculptor V. Dronov, architect I. Vasilevsky - son of the marshal)
• Monument to A.I. Marinesco (2001, sculptor Fedor Moroz)
• Monument to Emperor Peter I (2003, sculptor L. E. Kerbel )
• Monument to Francis Skorina (2004, sculptor Anatoly Artyomovich)
• Monument to Ludwig Reza (2005, sculptor Arunas Sakalauskas )
• Monument to Nicholas Copernicus (2005, sculptor Xavier Dunikovsky , gift of Poland) ^[130]
• Triumphal Column (2005, completed by setting the pommel in 2013) ^[131]
• Monument to V. S. Vysotsky (2006)
• Monument to the fabulous Baron Munchausen (2006, sculptor Georg Petau)
• Boatswain, a girl and a seagull in the Fish Village (2007)
• Monument to Frederic Chopin (2010, sculptor Adam Roman) ^[132]
• The memorial sign “To the liquidators of the consequences of atomic disasters” in the square next to the Astronomical Bastion (opened on April 26, 2011, the opening was timed to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the Chernobyl accident ) ^[133]
• Monument to the Konigsberg cat at the gates of the Friedrichsburg Fortress (2011, sculptor Lyudmila Bogatova)
• Genre sculpture for a cat hunter in a park opposite the Central Park (2012, sculptor Andrey Shevtsov)
• Sculpture Park on the island near the Cathedral (more than 20 sculptures)
• A memorial sign in honor of the participants in the restoration and development of Kaliningrad and the region. Opened in the Central Park in December 2012 ^[134]
• Monument to Soviet intelligence. Opened in July 2013 ^[135]
• Chapel of Remembrance (2013) ^[136]
• Monument to the Heroes of the First World War (2014, sculptor Salavat Shcherbakov ) ^[137]
• Monument to Alexander Nevsky (2018, authors Vadim Tsyganov ^[138] and Andrey Sledkov)

Parks

• Central Park of Culture and Rest
• Park of culture and rest Yunost
• South Park
• Sculpture park
• Zoo
• Botanical Garden
• Victory Park
• Baltic park

Do not have official status:

• Max Ashmann Park
• Ratshof
• Folk garden
• Yalta Park
• Royal garden
• Park of Miniatures of architectural masterpieces of Russia

As of April 18, 2018, the title “ Honorary Citizen of the City of Kaliningrad” was awarded to fifty-seven citizens, including ^[139] :