Travel: My Trip to Kaliningrad, the Former Konigsberg of East Prussia
I've been meaning to blog about this for quite a while, but like many things have just put it aside. A couple of years ago, in 2018 during my (budget) trip through Europe (budget in the sense that I had to stick with budget accommodation, travel, and food options), I finally decided that I would visit a place I'd been fascinated for a while now, Kaliningrad in Russia. Note that I didn't use many of the best photos I took since those are more private. Also, there are many other photos I may upload later. No time as of now.
Some Background and History:
For those of you that may not know, Kaliningrad is located in the westernmost part of Russia, it is part of the Kaliningrad oblast, which is an exclave cut off from the rest of Russia and sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania. It is not a part of the EU as it is part of the Russian Federation. The history of this territory is fascinating, as the entire oblast made up a large part of East Prussia prior to World War 2. When Prussia became unified with the German Empire, this was part of Germany, and the main city was called Konigsberg, which apparently means King's Mountain.
As Konigsberg it was founded in 1255 by the Teutonic Knights during the crusades. "It became the capital of their monastic state (1525–1701) and East Prussia. Königsberg remained the coronation city of the Prussian monarchy, though the capital was moved to Berlin in 1701." (Wikipedia)
A university city, home of the Albertina University (founded in 1544), Königsberg developed into an important German intellectual and cultural center, being the residence of Simon Dach, Immanuel Kant, Käthe Kollwitz, E. T. A. Hoffmann, David Hilbert, Agnes Miegel, Hannah Arendt, Michael Wieck and others.
Königsberg was the easternmost large city in Germany until World War II. The city was heavily damaged by Allied bombing in 1944 and during the Battle of Königsberg in 1945; it was then captured and annexed by the Soviet Union on 9 April 1945. Its German population was expelled, and the city was repopulated with Russians and others from the Soviet Union. Briefly Russified as Kyonigsberg (Кёнигсберг), it was renamed "Kaliningrad" in 1946 in honour of Soviet leader Mikhail Kalinin. It is now the capital of Russia's Kaliningrad Oblast, an exclave bordered in the north by Lithuania and in the south by Poland.
There has been some discussion of the territory's current legal status, although this is largely academic. The Potsdam Agreement of 1945 placed it provisionally under Soviet administration, as agreed by Winston Churchill and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. In the Final Settlement treaty of 1990, Germany renounced all claim to it.
From what I've read the fighting over the territory was very intense, the Soviets, Russians in particular wanted to get revenge on the attacking Germans, and fought ferociously to expel all Germans from the land. There was a mass exodus of Germans. Stalin viewed the area as valuable since he wanted to have an ice free port during the winter.
Most of the city was completely destroyed by the RAF bombing it. I saw a photograph of the city after the war, it looked like mostly smoldering ashes.
Considering that it was enemy territory along with the idea that the people who came there were simply poor people who were resettled from other parts of the Soviet Union I can see why they didn't try to rebuild the city as it was. Even this picture that I managed to find doesn't quite do the scene justice, I've seen some that looked even more like smoldering ashes:
Traveling Depends on Travelling Styles, Budgets and Here is my Personal Experience:
As with just about anything your experiences will vary based on who you are, and the circumstances of your travels. Going there as someone from sub-Saharan Africa, and being of the race, or from East Asia, or whatever will affect the experience, so will your budget and other aspects of your travel style, e.g. your interests, and expectations. Someone staying in 5 star hotels will have a different experience from someone going to a hostel, and the itinerary choice during the trip and the language ability.
As to myself, I travelled there as a budget traveler, also to keep in mind I know enough of the language to get around and be able communicate. The level of English or other languages in this region is low.
The first thing I noticed after I arrived is that there was a large and seemingly ubiquitous police presence. They seemed to be everywhere standing in groups. I.e. every few blocks down. Now, I am not sure whether or not that was due to the then recent 2018 FIFA cup (it ended the week before I came), or it is mainly because the region is always considered under threat from NATO, but I found it to be somewhat odd, but I suppose also somewhat reassuring.
I noticed right away, unfortunately, that quite a contingent of the people there were rude, or simply unfriendly, as a more or less natural disposition. Of course it did not apply to all people, those of the more intellectual type were quite a pleasure to talk to.
One thing people should consider of course is that most of the old Konigsberg is gone, destroyed during the RAF bombing, and much of the city has a communist architecture feel to it. I really liked the nature however, and how there were streams and rivers all throughout the city. It's wonderful how people can rent those peddle boats throughout the city, and even sailing boats also.
Obviously I did not go to Kaliningrad for luxury travel, I was just a budget traveler who stayed in a hostel, with extremely questionable guests from sub-Saharan and North Africa, who peed all over the toilet seat, as well as some very questionable Russian young men, along with a few decent Russian people. I could communicate in the target language to an extent, so that was not that big of a deal for me, admittedly when they started talking either quickly or using more complex language I had difficulty following what they said. Although unlike say French, I find Russian and other Slavic languages seem to be more phonetically clear, and not all so similar sounding. Mais mon français s'améliore.
The Language Barrier:
Be forewarned few people seem to speak English there, or any other language aside from Russian. Even the tourist attractions and museums are mostly in Russian, although there are quite a few signs in German, I suppose for the German tourists who must come there. The few people that speak English there don't seem to speak it too well either.
Xenophobia:
My general impression was that this was higher there than most other places that I've been to. Most people there are just Russian, and anything that deviates from the stereotypical look seems to be in the non-Russian territory. There were a bunch of Chinese people at a Bavarian themed restaurant. Standing outside smoking in a group. I noticed people on the bus across the street smirking out of the window, at first I thought maybe they were looking at me, but I was pretty sure they were staring at the group of Chinese people in business suits. Anyway, that's something to be aware of. Generally, there is a lot of tension in that area with the EU also.
A Sight Destroyed:
Konigsberg Castle:
This was an ancient Prussian castle that was destroyed by the Soviets since they felt that it represented German militarism. There were actually student protests that wanted to preserve the building. Judging from the pictures I can say that it genuinely looked like a beautiful castle. On the other hand judging from the post WWII photos I will say that is was HEAVILY damaged, to the point that is was just a burned shell of what it previously was. The Russians had other things to worry about than restoring it. Still I feel that it would be better to restore it, for historical purposes. It was blown up and the structurally unstable and unused House of Soviets was built on top of it.
The castle after the war
A Sight Lost, Stolen, or Destroyed:
The Amber Room:
The amber room was a chamber decorated in amber panels backed with gold leaf and mirrors, located in the Catherine Palace of Tsarskoye Selo near Saint Petersburg.
Constructed in the 18th century in Prussia, the room was dismantled and eventually disappeared during World War II. Before its loss, it was considered an "Eighth Wonder of the World". A reconstruction was made, starting in 1979 and completed and installed in the Catherine Palace in 2003.
Some believe that it was destroyed by the Soviets during the shelling and burning of the Castle, an official report from Soviet authorities stated this. However, some believe parts of it were stolen by the Nazis, and may have been moved to unknown hard to find locations, or sunk aboard a ship.
It was exquisitely beautiful and worth millions of dollars. The Amber Room has been recreated and now is located in St. Petersburg at the Catherine Palace.
The Sights:
As far as these go, I think what is indispensable when you go anywhere is to just go through a lot of the common areas where people live, and work, to get a real idea of what it is like anywhere.
Aside from this there are some points of interest that you should definitely check out if you ever decide to go there.
Kant's Island and the Konigsberg Cathedral:
The Island, also known in German as Kneiphof, used to be crammed with buildings from the University of Konigsberg, but after the war the Cathedral is all that remains standing. The German philosopher Immanuel Kant essentially lived his entire life in Konigsberg, and when he worked at the university lived on Kant's Island.
There are concerts given at the lower level of the cathedral. It costs extra, and I did not attend but the organ music must be delightful.
Upstairs is Kant's museum, about his life and the city. The language of the tour is Russian. It's a very interesting tour but some of the older women at the gift show are super crabby, beware.
There is also a synagogue rebuilt but unfinished. The original was burned down by the Nazis.
The walkway to the Cathedral with it in the distance in 2018
There is also a re-created Fisherman's Wharf near the island:
Konigsberg Stock Exchange:
The old exchange is quite an interesting place to visit. Again only Russian, with some German signs. It was a magnificent building back in the day, but badly damaged during the war and fell into a state of disrepair. Used by the Soviets in the 60s as a dance hall and then a post office. When I came there it was being partially restored. The woman told me they got very little support from the government for it. She also gave me a bit of special "backstage" access to the areas being renovated, and I can tell you that it looked like the majority of the building at that time just looked like the shell of the building, at the time of writing 2020, the restoration was supposed to be finished, but I have no idea whatever came of it. If there really was a restoration I imagine that the building must be quite the place now.
Amber Museum:
Aside from that there is an amber museum, since Kaliningrad is where most of the world's amber comes from. It is nothing too special but worth the visit in my opinion, admission is fairly cheap.
Submarine Museum:
Take a look inside a USSR submarine. It's worth spending half an hour or less.
University of Konigsberg:
As for the once famous University of Konigsberg, also known as the Albertina, not much remains of it. There are two campuses to the Immanuel Kant Federal Baltic State University. Once is a new campus, and another is the old campus. The old campus uses the main old building of the University of Konigsberg, but much has changed. The staff there are dreadfully rude, and unfriendly. Unless you are student or staff, you are not allowed access, and they will NOT even talk to you. This is the first time this has happened anywhere.
The building, as it was in 2018 looked absolutely dreadful, all of the splendour, and façade of the old building is gone. It looks more like a prison than the beautiful old Albertina. It's only worth seeing from a distance to see how horrid it's become. Literally a shell of its former glory. Although it seems like now they've renovated it? I'm not sure...
The Albertina during the Nazi era in 1938
A side view, not exactly exhilarating
House of the Soviets:
For those that don't know this was intended to be the central administration building of the Kaliningrad Oblast. Unfortunately it was build on the land where Konigsberg castle was demolished, which was not safe for building. This building was designed using the Soviet brutalist architecture style. It has been called the worst examples of Soviet architecture. Since all of the underground caverns of Konigsberg castle were not destroyed the House of the Soviets ended up being structurally unstable, and never used. There are still caverns there that are not damaged.
During the 2018 FIFA world cup it got a bit of a paint job. For the walkers out there The House of the Soviets, and Kant's Island are very close together, as is the Konigsberg Stock Exchange.
In 2018, with a makeover shortly after the FIFA World cup matches hosted in Kaliningrad
It was announced in November 2020 that this building will be demolished early next year, this was in consultation with a German architect, who stated it would be cheaper to just build a new building from scratch than fix this one.
Dining:
Now that it's part of Russia you can obviously get lots of Russian food there. They still have street vendors that sell Kvass from a barrel. You can get Borscht, Solianka, and various other goodies. However, it is probably more interesting to try some of the relatively obscure Prussian food. This can be obtained in Bavarian themed restaurants.
Konigsberger Klopse
I had to try the Bavarian cooking that was offered at obviously lower Russian prices. Konigsberger Klopse, which are a German specialty of meatballs in a white sauce with capers, was on the menu. It was fairly good, I enjoyed it very much and drank it down with the Bavarian beer. I only paid about 10 USD for it.
Oh and you can also try the supermarket Victoria for some cheap Russian food. I don't think anyone there speaks English though.
A few reflections:
I think I only spent three days there and so I didn't really get to do all that much. But there are other points of interest. I think it would also be interesting to see some of the other small towns in the oblast, some were not as damaged during the war, and there are archeological sites of interest. The Curonian spit is also a beautiful area.
Thinking about the war, I kind of didn't particularly like the Germans or Russians, but it just seemed like such an epic struggle for life, for existence, something so singular in character, yet in my opinion reflective of human life as a whole. If this area was a part of Germany now it would probably be overrun by immigrants but as it stands now, most of the population is Slavic, at least it has a character. It's a shame so much of the German architecture was destroyed though. The area has potential, I think it is better that it does not join the EU. It appears to have very little Western tourists in part due to the difficult visa requirements.
Bottom line:
Ultimately though unless you are a German, or someone who has an interest in the area, and perhaps visa-free access due to having a passport from a country that was a waiver with Russia, and/or Russian speaking ability then this really may not be the trip for you. In those cases it will cost you quite a bit of money and hassle, although the prices are low, you may find that getting around could be very difficult. So it may not be worth your time.
It would be easier to go to Poland or Lithuania, the prices aren't that bad over there either, and there's quite a bit more English spoken.
Despite my situation I realize that I was lucky that I got to travel. Most people will never get to go to a place like this. Travelling is a privilege. Hopefully your travels will be good ones.
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