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The capital city of Kaliningrad oblast: Kaliningrad.
Kaliningrad oblast (also spelled Kaliningradskaya; sometimes called Yantarny krai which means “The amber region”) is a federal subject of Russia. Kaliningrad region is situated on the Baltic coast (North-Western Federal District). Capital city and administrative center of the region is Kaliningrad.
Kaliningrad oblast population - 938,000 (2010); land area - 15,100 sq. km.
Kaliningrad oblast is the most western part of Russia. Kaliningrad oblast has no land connection to the rest of Russian territory. Kaliningrad oblast is an exclave of Russian Federation surrounded by Lithuania and Poland. Kaliningrad oblast of Russia possesses about 90% of the world’s amber deposits.
Nowadays several hundred tons of amber is mined annually, but only a small part of it is used for making jewelry in Kaliningrad oblast. Amber mining and removal from Kaliningrad oblast is often beyond the law, contraband amber is delivered to West European countries.
Till 18th century the territory of current Kaliningrad oblast was inhabited by Prussian tribes, the folk closely related to Latvian and Lithuanian peoples. In 1226 the Polish Prince Konrad Mazovetsky and the great Master of Teutonic Order Hermann von Saltz signed the treaty on dividing Prussian lands. After that German knights of Teutonic Order began colonization of Prussia.
During invasion which lasted about 50 years knights built castles. The first castle was Balga founded in 1239 on the coast of Vislinsky (Kaliningradsky) bay and it is still preserved. For security Germans settled near the walls of castles. It was the way most of the towns of Kaliningrad oblast appeared including Kenigsberg (Kaliningrad).
Thus the state of knights-crusaders appeared on the territory of current Kaliningrad oblast (as well as on the territory of current Varminsko-Mazursky province of Poland). This state had always initiated wars with Poland and Lithuania. Such extra tension lead to the crisis in Prussia and it became dependent from Poland in the second half of 15th century.
In 1525 by the order of the great Master Albreht the crusaders’ state was reformed into Prussian duchy. The last great Master of Teutonic Order duke Albreht became the first duke of Prussia. Protestantism of Lutheran type became the new state religion - thus, Prussia was the first state in the world which declared Protestantism its state religion.
In 1657 Prussia became a part of united Brandenburg-Prussian state and set free of Poland. During the War of Seven Years between 1758 and 1762 the Eastern Prussia was a part of Russian Empire. This period was called “the first Russian time” in German chronicles.
Eastern Prussia, its northern part (approximately one third of all the territory of Eastern Prussia) became a part of Russia after World War II, according to Potsdam agreements. After the victory there was immediately organized Kenigsberg military district which dealt with civil affairs too. Soon it was reorganized into Kenigsberg region as a part of the RSFSR. This name didn’t exist for a long time, in 1946 it was renamed Kaliningradskaya after Soviet leader Mikhail Kalinin. Officially Kaliningrad oblast was formed on April 7th, 1946. The rest of the German population was deported to Germany by 1947.
After the war Kaliningradskaya oblast became one of the most militarized regions of the USSR. Headquarters of the Baltic fleet was located in Kaliningrad, after 1991 the town of Baltiysk (former Pillau) remained the largest base of this fleet.
The following industries are developed in Kaliningrad oblast: machine-building; ship-building and repairing; car assembling; production and assembling of gadgets; production of building materials; food industry; wood processing and furniture-making.
Commercial fishing is developed, large fishing ports are located in Kaliningrad and Pionersky, smaller ones - in Pybachiy and Svetly.
The most important kind of transportation in the region is automobile one. The net of highways is developed. Most of the roads do not correspond the width standard in Russia, besides, they are very twisting. On most of roads in Kaliningradskaya oblast the max permitted speed is 70 km/h (instead of 90 km/h), this is due to trees growing along the roads and thus causing serious danger.
Kaliningrad oblast nature
Kaliningradskaya oblast scenery
Kaliningrad Russia oblast scenery
Kaliningrad oblast chapel
Kaliningrad region church
Kaliningrad Russia region cathedral
Kaliningrad oblast road
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