An Autumn Visit to Kaliningrad, Russia.

I spent four nights and three days on a business trip in Kaliningrad, Russia this October.  While it truly was a work trip and I spent much of my time in board rooms, hotel rooms and café’s grabbing a quick bite to eat I did get a chance to observe some of the city while tromping from meeting to meeting and during the random occasions when I could meander freely for an hour or two.  Given the pace of the trip there was much that I was not able to see �" the inside of any museum or church, for example, or the Baltic Sea.  With that said, I did get a good feel for the city and the city left me with a good feeling. 

 

In case you are not familiar with Kaliningrad it is the Russia’s most western region and is comprised of Kaliningrad City, formerly Konigsberg (where I spent my time) and the broader Kaliningrad region (which I did not see).

  Kaliningrad region is an enclave of Russian citizens and military bases that does not connect with the rest of nation.  Kaliningrad is sandwiched between Belarus, Poland and Lithuania.  I do not know how or why this little chunk of the Baltic remained part of Russia when the Soviet Union collapsed, but I would guess that naval bases and Baltic Sea access this port provides was strategically too valuable for Russia to give up.

 

Konigsberg was a Germanic city, the capital of Prussia, in fact.  The first Prussian king was crowned there and it was the lifelong home of philosopher Emmanuel Kant.

  During the Second World War the city was pretty much obliterated by British bombers, Red Army artillery and house to house fighting between Soviet and German troops.  By the end of the war the vast majority of the German population had either been killed, moved (by Stalin) or fled the city. 

 

Following the 2^nd World War the Soviets claimed the city and named it after Stalin’s recently deceased buddy Kalinin.  Kalinin, who never visited his namesake, received the honour as a result of his dying right when a new city needed to be named.  Not only one of Stalin’s buddies Kalinin also has the distinction of actively participating causing the Ukrainian famine of the 1930’s that killed millions and ordering the infamous execution of Polish soldiers and officers after the joint invasion of Poland by the USSR and the Nazi in 1939.

 

Having taken and newly branded the city the Soviets went about the process of rebuilding Konigsberg as Kaliningrad.  In grand soviet fashion they erected massive white and grey leggo looking buildings that now dot the horizon.  And while the city (especially outside of the center) does have a fairly prominent soviet look the center of the city has maintained a distinctive European feel.  The Soviets mowed down buildings (most famously the central castle in 1968, which they replaced with an empty and unfinished skyscraper), rebuilt destroyed German cottages with soviet high rise apartments, and placed Soviet memorials and monuments throughout the city but despite their best efforts the Soviets failed to truly erase the historical memory and cultural feel of old Konigsberg from new Kaliningrad. 

 

Kaliningrad is a city of wide boulevards, cobblestone streets and expansive parks filled with blooming flowers, fall colours and lush greenery.

  It feels different than other places in Russia.  Even Kaliningrad’s citizens don’t look particularly Russian but more so German or Polish (I’d say Lithuanian too, but I’m not really sure I know what an ethnic Lithuanian looks like). 

 

The greenness of the city was something that caught my attention almost immediately.  It wasn’t the large parks that jumped out at me as particularly different (though these parks did tend to be much greener than the average Soviet era park of stone and bronze).  What jumped out at me were the many mid-sized and full sized trees lining the boulevards and side streets.  Very few streets were without the autumn coverage of red, bronze and yellow leaved trees.

 

Today’s Kaliningrad carries elements of both Konigsberg and Kaliningrad, though my impression during the visit was that the leaders of the city are reaching back into the past to restore and rebuild as much of the historic architecture and flavour of the city as possible.  And the citizens, while proud Russians, also seemed proud to be a bit different and to have a city with such a unique and distinct heritage.

 

The main highlight of my time in of my time in Kaliningrad was wandering through the streets one day when I had a couple hours to spare.  I started my walk at Pobedy Plaza (Victory Plaza) admiring the cobblestone walks, victory column and the glistening white walls and golden domes of St.

George’s Cathedral.  Strolling through the public market from Pobedy Plaza towards Prud Verkny and coming upon the remnants of Konigsberg’s defensive walls (Wrangel Tower).  Wrangel Tower is a red brick monument of times past and while attractive in its construction and surrounded by foliage the pollution and sewage flowing around the tower take something from the experience.  As I continued my stroll discovered Prud Nizhny.  I wandered along the pond’s long banks heading back towards Hotel Kaliningrad where I was staying.  The park that housed Prud Nizhny is long and picturesque, filled with trees, ducks and tranquil souls.  It was the essence of peace and serenity and I wish I could have spent hours there relaxing and taking in the beautiful day and watching the billowing clouds blow through bright blueness of the sky.  

 

The other highlight was going for a run early one morning.  I took off from my hotel and headed for the trees and the red brick German Cathedral in the distance.  As I drew closer I realized the main part of the city, where I spent most my time, was on a bluff overlooking the river valley, the German cathedral and a massive park surrounding the cathedral.  Heading down the stairs into the valley I ran around the park admiring the Cathedral, Kant’s tomb, a docked Russian sub and warship and the fall colours of the park’s trees.  In addition, I watched others stroll past monuments, fish and just sit on benches taking in the fresh early morning air.  Amongst, my favourite parts of the run was running along the river where the cathedral, trees and sky created interesting reflections and images that distracted my attention while I ran along listening to Modest Mouse.

 

I went back the park two days later to take a slower stroll.  My positive first impressions remained as I walked about admiring Kant’s tomb, the reflections in the still water and the pleasant greenness of the early morning park.  I noticed a couple of new things while on this stroll my last morning in the city.  First, I really noticed the line between the center of the city and the remnants of what remained from the old city and the old city and how it compared to the buildings just along the centers periphery.  While the center maintained characteristics of oldness and some of the original flavour of the Konigsberg the surrounding areas looked uniformly and whole heartedly Soviet in its construction and design.  This left a vast disparity between the pleasant, green and historic center and the drab grey and white blocky surrounding areas.

 

 

I also noticed that along the bridge to the German Cathedral pad locks with inscriptions had been locked to the iron rails of the bridge.  While I couldn’t read the inscriptions I did notice dates and hearts and presume that the locks were placed there by newlyweds or the like (sorta like carving yours and your girlfriends name into a tree).  It looks like a nice and unique Kaliningrad tradition though.

 

While I barely scratched the surface of Kaliningrad I feel confident in recommending it to others.  It’s an interesting and unique Russian city with a pleasant European atmosphere.  I hope to be back in the area in the next few months to see more of what I missed and would like to come back after 2012 when the cities facelift, currently underway is complete.

  The city is rebuilding the castle destroyed by the Soviets in ’68 and developing a large central plaza with business and housing facilities near the German Cathedral.  The design plans I saw look marvellous and if it all works out it will raise Kaliningrad tourism status greatly.

More Kaliningrad photos available at http://picasaweb.google.com/mpadraicmurphy/KaliningradInAutumn.