Kaliningrad Oblast: Facts, Discussion Forum, and Encyclopedia Article

All Topics

Kaliningrad Oblast

	Email		Print
	Bookmark		Link

	Kaliningrad Oblast
	Home Discussion
	Topics Kaliningrad Oblast Topic Home Kaliningrad Oblast (, Kaliningradskaya oblast; informally called Yantarny kray (, meaning amber region) is a federal subjectFederal subjects of Russia Russia is a federation which consists of 88 subjects}}; English transliteration: subyekty, sing.... (an oblastOblast Oblast refers to a subnational entity in some countries.... ) of RussiaRussia Russia , also the Russian Federation , is a country that stretches over a vast expanse of Eurasia.... on the BalticBaltic Sea The Baltic Sea is located in Northern Europe, from 53N to 66N latitude and from 20E to 26E longitude.... coastCoast Overview The coast is defined as the part of the land adjoining or near the ocean.... . Despite being the westernmost part of the Russian Federation, it has no land connection to the rest of Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. Since then it has been an exclave of Russia surrounded by LithuaniaLithuania Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania , is a country in northern Europe.... and PolandFacts About Poland Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country located in Central Europe.... . Borderless travel to the main part of Russia is only possible by sea or air. This political isolation became more pronounced when Lithuania and Poland both became members of the European UnionEuropean Union The European Union is an intergovernmental and supranational union of 25 democratic member states.... and NATONATO Aznar also proposed a strategic co-operation with India and Colombia. ... , and entered the Schengen ZoneSchengen Agreement The 1985 Schengen Agreement is an agreement among European states which allows for common policy on the temporary entry of p... , which means that the oblast is surrounded by the territories of these organizations as well. Its largest city and the administrative center is KaliningradKaliningrad Kaliningrad , until 1945 known by its German name Knigsberg, then briefly as Kyonigsberg , is a seaport and the ad... , which has historical significance as both a major city of PrussiaPrussia Summary Prussia was, most recently, a historic state originating in Brandenburg, an area which for centuries had substantial influen... and the capital of the former GermanGermany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in central Europe.... province East PrussiaEast Prussia East Prussia was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia from 1773-1824 and 1878 to 1945.... , partitioned after World War IIFacts About World War II World War II, or the Second World War, was a worldwide conflict fought between the Allied Powers and the Axis Powers ,... between the USSR and PolandPoland Overview Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country located in Central Europe.... , and renamed after Mikhail KalininFacts About Mikhail Kalinin Mikhail Ivanovich Kalinin was a Bolshevik revolutionary and Soviet politician.... . Population: 968,200 (2004 est.); ; . Geography Kaliningrad Oblast is a non-contiguous exclave of Russia surrounded by LithuaniaLithuania Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania , is a country in northern Europe.... , PolandPoland Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country located in Central Europe.... , and the Baltic SeaBaltic Sea The Baltic Sea is located in Northern Europe, from 53N to 66N latitude and from 20E to 26E longitude.... . Geographical features include: Curonian LagoonCuronian Lagoon The Curonian Lagoon is sundered from the Baltic Sea by the Curonian Spit and belongs to Lithuania and Russia.... - shared with Lithuania Vistula LagoonVistula Lagoon The Vistula Lagoon is a fresh water lagoon on the Baltic Sea cut off from Gdansk Bay by the Vistula Spit.... - shared with Poland Politics The current governor (since 2005) of Kaliningrad Oblast is Georgy BoosGeorgy Boos Georgy Valentinovich Boos is a Russian businessman and politician, the governor of Kaliningrad Oblast.... , who succeeded Vladimir YegorovVladimir Yegorov Vladimir Yegorov was the governor of Kaliningrad Oblast of Russia in 2001-2005.... . The EU and Russia have had serious political debate over Kaliningrad. The recent enlargement of the EU (2004) saw Poland and Lithuania become member states meaning Kaliningrad now has land borders only with the EU. Issues of security have been at the forefront of debate, with high relevance to the Schengen AgreementSchengen Agreement Overview The 1985 Schengen Agreement is an agreement among European states which allows for common policy on the temporary entry of p... . History East Prussia The region of Kaliningrad Oblast was inhabited during the Middle AgesMiddle Ages The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three "ages": the clas... by tribes of Old PrussiansOld Prussians The Old Prussians or Baltic Prussians were an ethnic group consisting of medieval Baltic tribes inhabiting the lands o... in the western part, and LithuaniansLithuanians Lithuanians are the Baltic ethnic group native to Lithuania, where they number a little over 3 million .... in the eastern part by the PregolyaPregolya Pregolya, also spelt as Pregola is a river in the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.... and Alna rivers. The Teutonic KnightsTeutonic Knights The Teutonic Knights or Teutonic Order is a German Roman Catholic religious order formed at the end of the 12th centur... conquered the region and established a monastic stateMonastic State of the Teutonic Knights The Monastic State of the Teutonic Knights was formed during the Teutonic Knights' conquest of Prussia and the still pagan B... . On the foundations of a destroyed Prussian settlement known as Tvanksta, the Order founded the major city Königsberg, the current KaliningradKaliningrad Summary Kaliningrad , until 1945 known by its German name Knigsberg, then briefly as Kyonigsberg , is a seaport and the ad... . GermansGermans Germans are defined as an ethnic group, or Volk, in the sense of sharing a common German culture, speaking the German langua... and PolesPoles The Poles are a western Slavic people inhabiting the country of Poland and a number of other states in the world, where they... resettled the territory and assimilated the indigenous Old Prussians. The LithuanianLithuanians Lithuanians are the Baltic ethnic group native to Lithuania, where they number a little over 3 million .... -inhabited areas became known as Lithuania MinorLithuania Minor Summary Lithuania Minor became predominant.... . In 1525, Grand Master Albert of BrandenburgAlbert I, Duke of Prussia Albert I Hohenzollern of Brandenburg-Ansbach was Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights and, after converting to Lutheranism,... secularisedGerman Mediatisation The German Mediatisation was the series of mediatisations and secularisations that occurred in Germany in 1795–1814, d... the Prussian branch of the Teutonic Order and established himself as the sovereign of the Duchy of Prussia, the Polish fief, later inherited by the Margravate of Brandenburg. The region was reorganized into the Province of East PrussiaEast Prussia East Prussia was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia from 1773-1824 and 1878 to 1945.... within the Kingdom of PrussiaKingdom of Prussia Summary The Kingdom of Prussia was a kingdom from 1701 to 1918 and, from 1871, was the leading state of the German Empire, comprisin... in 1773. East Prussia was an important centre of German culture. Many important figures, such as Immanuel KantImmanuel Kant Immanuel Kant , was a German philosopher from Knigsberg in East Prussia .... and E. T. A. Hoffmann, originated from this region. The cities of Kaliningrad Oblast, despite being heavily damaged during World War IIWorld War II Summary World War II, or the Second World War, was a worldwide conflict fought between the Allied Powers and the Axis Powers ,... and after, still bear typical German architecture, such as JugendstilJugendstil Jugendstil is defined as "a style of architecture or decorative art similar to Art Nouveau, popular in German-speaking areas... , showing the rich German history and cultural importance of the area. The Lithuanian-speaking population in East Prussia diminished due to Germanization; in the early 20th century Lithuanians made up a majority only in the far northeast of East Prussia, the rest of the area being predominantly German-speaking. The Memel Territory, formerly part of northeastern East Prussia, came under Lithuanian control in 1923 after World War IWorld War I World War I, also known as the First World War, the Great War and "The War to End All Wars" was a global m... . After coming to power in 1933, the Nazi regimeNazism National Socialism, commonly shortened to Nazism or Naziism, originated as a fascist movement in Europe, and re... in Germany radically altered about a third of the place names of this area by Germanizing most names of Old Prussian or Lithuanian origin in 1938. Kaliningrad Oblast During World War IIWorld War II World War II, or the Second World War, was a worldwide conflict fought between the Allied Powers and the Axis Powers ,... the SovietSoviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , more commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a Communist state that existed... Red ArmyRed Army The short forms Red Army and RKKA refer to the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, , the armed forces first organiz... entered the eastern-most tip of East Prussia on August 29, 1944. Evidence of massacres committed by the Soviet troops in the East Prussian village of Nemmersdorf spread panic in the province and urged a mass flight westward. However, in spite of that the Nazis kept East Prussia's civil population firmly home by threat of a death-penalty for 'cowardly deserting'. As evacuation was only allowed at the very last moment, thousands of aged people, women and children paid with their lives for ths criminal conduct. They were killed by the Soviet army, as well as by the severe frost. More than two million people were evacuatedEvacuation of East Prussia The evacuation of East Prussia includes especially the evacuation of German population from that area as well as from other ... , many of them via the Baltic SeaBaltic Sea The Baltic Sea is located in Northern Europe, from 53N to 66N latitude and from 20E to 26E longitude.... . The remaining population was deported after the war ended and the area was repopulated primarily by RussiansRussians Summary Russians are an East Slavic ethnic group, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries.... and, to a lesser extent, by UkrainiansUkrainians Ukrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group primarily living in Ukraine. ... and BelarusiansBelarusians Belarusians or Belarusans are an East Slavic ethnic group who populate the majority of the Republic of Belarus and fo... (see "Demographics"Kaliningrad Oblast Kaliningrad Oblast , informally called Yantarny kray is a federal subject of Russia on the Baltic coast, with no land ... , below). The Potsdam AgreementPotsdam Agreement The Potsdam Agreement, or the Potsdam Proclamation, was an agreement on policy for the occupation and reconstruction o... of world powers assigned northern East Prussia to the Soviet UnionSoviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , more commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a Communist state that existed... pending the final determination of territorial questions at the peace settlement: VI. CITY OF KOENIGSBERG AND THE ADJACENT AREA The Conference examined a proposal by the Soviet Government that pending the final determination of territorial questions at the peace settlement the section of the western frontier of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics which is adjacent to the Baltic SeaBaltic Sea The Baltic Sea is located in Northern Europe, from 53N to 66N latitude and from 20E to 26E longitude.... should pass from a point on the eastern shore of the Bay of GdanskGdansk Bay The Bay of Gdansk is a southeastern bay of the Baltic sea.... to the east, north of BraunsbergBraniewo Braniewo is a city in northeastern Poland, in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, with a population of 18,068.... and GoldapGoldap Goldap is a town and the seat of Goldap County in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship in Poland.... , to the meeting point of the frontiers of LithuaniaLithuania Overview Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania , is a country in northern Europe.... , the Polish RepublicPoland Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country located in Central Europe.... and East Prussia. The Conference has agreed in principle to the proposal of the Soviet Government concerning the ultimate transfer to the Soviet Union of the city of Koenigsberg and the area adjacent to it as described above, subject to expert examination of the actual frontier. The President of the United StatesHarry S. Truman Harry S. Truman was the thirty-third President of the United States; as Vice President, he succeeded to the office upon the ... and the British Prime MinisterClement Attlee Clement Richard Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee, KG, OM, CH, FRS, PC was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and ... have declared that they will support the proposal of the Conference at the forthcoming peace settlement. In 1957, an agreement was signed and later came into force which delimited the boundary between Poland and the Soviet Union. (Full text: , for other issues of the frontier delimitation see ) According to some accounts from the times of Nikita KhrushchevNikita Khrushchev Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchyov was the leader of the Soviet Union after the death of Joseph Stalin.... (1953-1964), the Soviet government had planned to make the rest of the area a part of the Lithuanian SSRLithuanian SSR The Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic, short: Lithuanian SSR was the name given on July 21, 1940 to Lithuania, afte... immediately after World War II. The area was administered by the planning committeePlanning committee Overview A Planning committee in the United Kingdom is a committee of Local Authority councillors that sit as the Local Planning Auth... of the LSSR, although the area had its own Party committee. However, the leadership of the Lithuanian SSR (especially Antanas SnieckusAntanas Snieckus Antanas Snieckus was the First Secretary of the Lithuanian Communist Party, from August 1940, to January 22, 1974.... ) refused to take the territory mainly because of its devastation during the war. Some modern nationalistic Lithuanian authors say that the reason for the refusal was the Lithuanians' concern to find themselves on equal demographic terms with the Russian population within the Lithuanian SSR. Instead the region was added to the Russian SFSRRussian SFSR The Russian SFSR was the largest and most populous of the fifteen Soviet republics, and became the modern day Russian Federa... and since 1946 it has been known as Kaliningrad Oblast. According to some historians, Joseph StalinJoseph Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin , alternatively transliterated Josef Stalin, was the de facto leader and dictator of ... created it as an oblast separate from the LSSR because it further enclosed the Baltic republicsBaltic Republics The term Baltic Republics referred to the three Soviet Republics of Estonian SSR, Latvian SSR, and Lithuanian SSR.... from the WestWestern world The term Western World or "the West" can have multiple meanings depending on its context.... . Names of the towns, cities, rivers, and other geographical objects were changed into newly-created Russian ones. The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the independence of the Baltic states physically isolated Kaliningrad Oblast from the rest of Russia. Some ethnic Germans began to migrate to the area, especially Volga Germans from other parts of Russia and KazakhstanKazakhstan Kazakhstan, also spelled Kazakstan, , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a country that stretches over a ... , especially after Germany stopped granting free right of return to ethnic Germans from the former Soviet Union. The economic situation has been badly affected by this isolation (and the large reduction in the size of the Russian military garrison which was previously one of the major employers), especially when neighbouring nations imposed strict border controls when they joined the European UnionEuropean Union The European Union is an intergovernmental and supranational union of 25 democratic member states.... . Russian proposals for visa-free travel between the EU and Kaliningrad have so far been rejected by the EU. In recent times, the situation started to change, but very slowly. Germany and Lithuania have renewed contact with Kaliningrad Oblast through town twinningTown twinning Town twinning or sister cities is a concept whereby towns or cities from geographically and politically distinct areas... and other projects. This has helped to promote interest in the history and the culture of the East Prussian and LietuvininkaiPrussian Lithuanians The term Prussian Lithuanians, Lietuwininkai , Lietuvininkai refers to a Western Lithuanian ethnic group, which ... communities. Military Kaliningrad Oblast is the most militarized area of the Russian Federation and the density of military installations is the highest in Europe. Kaliningrad is a headquarters of Russian Baltic FleetBaltic Fleet The Baltic Fleet is located at the Baltic Sea and headquartered in Kaliningrad, the other major base is at Kronstadt, locate... circled by Chernyakhovsk (air base)Chernyakhovsk (air base) Chernyakhovsk – – is a naval air base located 4 km southwest of the city of Chernyakhovsk in the Kaliningrad O... , Donskoye (air base)Donskoye (air base) Donskoye is an air base in Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia located 1 km east of Donskoye .... , Kaliningrad ChkalovskKaliningrad Chkalovsk Kaliningrad Chkalovsk is a naval air base in Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia located 9 km northwest of Kaliningrad.... (naval air base). The Washington TimesThe Washington Times *The Washington Times* is a daily broadsheet newspaper published in Washington, D.C., United States.... claimed on January 3 2001, citing anonymous intelligence reports, that Russia had transferred tactical nuclear weapons into a military base in Kaliningrad for the first time since the Cold War ended. Russian top-level military leaders denied those claims. A Pentagon spokeperson stated that deployment would violate Russian pledge that Russia was removing nuclear weapons from the Baltics. Russia and the United States announced in 1991 and 1992 a non-binding agreement to reduce arsenals of tactical nuclear weapons. On the eve of the reunification of Germany, Helmut KohlFacts About Helmut Kohl Dr. Helmut Josef Michael Kohl is a Catholic German conservative politician and statesman.... promised Mikhail GorbachevMikhail Gorbachev Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachyov was leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991.... that NATO's military infrastructures would not move eastward into the territory of East Germany, a fact since confirmed by the former U.S. Ambassador to Moscow Jack Matlock. Later Russia was privately assured that Eastern European states would not seek membership in NATO. Today, while NATO has not established any military infrastructure in Eastern Germany yet, both Central European and Baltic countries are NATO members. Time zone Kaliningrad Oblast is located in the Eastern European Time ZoneEastern European Time Eastern European Time is one of the names of UTC+2 time zone, 2 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time.... (known locally as the Kaliningrad Time Zone or the Russia Zone 1). UTCCoordinated Universal Time Coordinated Universal Time is a high-precision atomic time standard.... offset is +0200 (USZ1)/+0300 (USZ1S). Administrative divisions Demographics Population According to the 2002 CensusRussian Census (2002) Russian Census of 2002 was the first census of the Russian Federation carried out on October 9, 2002.... the population of the region was 955,281 (78% urban; 22% rural). Kaliningrad OblastOblast Oblast refers to a subnational entity in some countries.... is the fourth most densely populated in the Russian Federation, with 62.5 persons per sq.km. Almost none of the pre-World War II Lithuanian population or German population remain in Kaliningrad Oblast. Ethnic groups According to the 2002 CensusRussian Census (2002) Russian Census of 2002 was the first census of the Russian Federation carried out on October 9, 2002.... the 'national composition' included 786,885 RussiansRussians Russians are an East Slavic ethnic group, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries.... (82.37%) 50,748 BelarusiansBelarusians Overview Belarusians or Belarusans are an East Slavic ethnic group who populate the majority of the Republic of Belarus and fo... (5.31%) 47,229 UkrainiansUkrainians Ukrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group primarily living in Ukraine. ... (4.94%) 13,937 LithuaniansLithuanians Lithuanians are the Baltic ethnic group native to Lithuania, where they number a little over 3 million .... (1.46%) 8,415 ArmeniansArmenians The Armenians are a nation and an ethnic group originating in the Caucasus and eastern Anatolia.... (0.88%) 8,340 GermansGermans Germans are defined as an ethnic group, or Volk, in the sense of sharing a common German culture, speaking the German langua... (0.87%) 4,729 TatarsTatars Summary Tatars , often misspelled Tartar, is a collective name applied to the Turkic speaking people of Eastern Europe and Cen... (0.50%) 3,918 PolesPoles The Poles are a western Slavic people inhabiting the country of Poland and a number of other states in the world, where they... (0.41%) 2,959 AzerisAzeris in Russia Overview Aside from a large Azeri community that is native to Russia's Dagestan Republic, the majority of Azeris in Russia are fairly recen... (0.30%) 2,320 Mordvins (0.24%) 2,027 ChuvashChuvash Chuvash can mean:Chuvash people... (0.21%) 1,599 Jews (0.17%) 1,447 RomaRoma people The Roma People* , sometimes "Romany Folk" in the British Isles, often referred to as Gypsies , are a heterogeneous eth... (0.15%) 1,116 MoldovansMoldovans Summary Moldovans, or Moldavians are the native population in, depending on one's interpretation, all or part of the lands tha... (0.12%) 738 Chechens (0.08%) 709 LatviansFacts About Latvians Latvians or Letts, the indigenous Baltic people of Latvia, occasionally refer to themselves by the ancient name of L... (0.07%) 681 GeorgiansGeorgians The Georgians are a nation or an ethnic group, originating in the Caucasus.... (0.07%) 631 KazakhsKazakhs The Kazakhs, are a Turkic people of the northern parts of Central Asia.... (0.07%) 631 UzbeksUzbeks The Uzbeks are a Turkic people of Central Asia and comprise the majority population of Uzbekistan and are also located in o... (0.07%) 562 BashkirsBashkirs The Bashkirs, a Turkic people, live in Russia, mostly in the republic of Bashkortostan.... (0.06%) 504 Yezidi (0.05%) 448 MariMari people The Mari are a Volga-Finnic people in the Volga area, the natives of Mari El, Russia.... (0.05%) 433 OssetiansOssetians The Ossetians are an ethnic group from Ossetia, a region in the northern Caucasus Mountains in Europe.... (0.05%) 382 Udmurts (0.04%) 359 LezginsLezgins The Lezgins, also called the Lezgin, Lezgi, Lezgis, Lezgs, and Lezgians are an ethnic group wh... (0.04%) 346 BulgariansBulgarians The Bulgarians are a South Slavic people generally associated with Bulgaria and the Bulgarian language.... (0.04%) and 309 TajiksTajiks Tajik is a term generally applied to Persian-speaking peoples of Iranian origin living in the east of Iran.... (0.03%) as well as other groups of less than three hundred persons each. An additional 0.93% of residents declined to state their nationality or ethnocultural identity on the census questionnaire. Economy According to official statistics, the Gross Regional Product of the Kaliningrad Oblast was 115 billion roubles Industry The region has transport and heavy equipment\|crane]]) plants. Car and truck assembly Corporation\|YUEJIN]]) and production of auto parts are growing industries. There are shipbuilding facilities in Kalinigrad and Sovetsk. Food processing is a mature industry in the region. Fishing Fishing is one of the important regional industries, with big fishing ports in Kaliningrad and Pionerskoe and lesser ones in SvetlySvetly, Kaliningrad Oblast Summary Svetly is a town in Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the coast of Vistula Bay 30 km west of Kaliningrad at .... and RybachyRybachy Rybachy is a rural settlement in Russia's Kaliningrad Oblast, the northern part of former East Prussia.... . Power generation Average yearly power consumption in the Kaliningrad Oblast was 3.5 bln kWh in 2004 with local power generation providing just 235 mln. kWh. The balance of energy was imported from neighbouring countries. A new Kaliningrad power station was built in 2005, covering 50% of the Oblast's energy needs. A second power station is scheduled to enter service in 2010, making the Oblast independent from electricity imports. There are plans to build two nuclear power reactorsNuclear power in Russia Russia has made plans to increase the number of reactors in operation from twenty nine to fifty nine, financed with the help of lo... in the eastern part of Kaliningrad. External links Raymond A. Smith "" LITUANUS LITHUANIAN QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES Volume 38, No.1 - Spring 1992 A. Liucija Arbusauskaité "" chapter in "Themenheft: Eingliederung und Ausgrenzung. Beiträge aus der Historischen Migrationsforschung. Hrsg.: Jochen Oltmer Osnabrück: IMIS, 1999. ISSN 0949-4723 taken by Joost Lemmens of the Netherlands shows examples of small towns neglected under the Soviet Union around Kaliningrad Oblast. This site gives the Prussian German town names and the corresponding Russian names after 1945/49. It starts out with the gate of the horse breeding stables in Trakehnen, and hopeful signs of new beginnings for this devastated land. on the possibility of Kaliningrad integrating with the EU as a special economic zoneSpecial Economic Zone A Special Economic Zone is a geographical region that has economic laws that are more liberal than a country's typical econo... This site by W.A. Milowskij, a Kaliningrad resident, contains hundreds of interesting photos, often with text explanations, of architectural and infrastructural artifacts of the territory's long German past.