KALININGRAD

K a l i n i n g r a d i s m y n a t i v e c i t y . H e r e I w a s b o r n a n d I a m p r o u d o f i t .

K a l i n i n g r a d i s t h e w e s t e r n m o s t c i t y o f Ru s s i a .

O u r r e g i o n i s s i t u a t e d o n t h e Z e m l a n d

p e n i n s u l a . I t b o r d e r s w i t h Po l a n d a n d L i t h u a n i a a n d

i s w a s h e d b e t h e B a l t i c s e a .

T h e r e a r e n o m o u n t a i n s i n o u r r e g i o n , b u t t h e r e a r e

a l o t o f h i l l s . Fo r e s t s c o v e r o v e r 5 0 % o f t h e

t e r r i t o r y. T h e b i g g e s t r i v e r s a r e t h e P r e g o l a n d t h e

N e m a n t h e r e a r e a l o t o f b e a u t i f u l l a k e s i n o u r

r e g i o n t h e Ku r s h s k a y a s p i t c o n n e c t s o u r r e g i o n w i t h

l i t h u a n i a a n d t h e b a l t i c s p i t - w i t h P o l a n d .

T h e Ku r s h s k a y a s p i t c o n n e c t s o u r r e g i o n w i t h

L i t h u a n i a a n d t h e B a l t i c s p i t - w i t h Po l a n d .

K a l i n i n g r a d i s a u n i q u e c i t y. I t h a s t w o b i r t h d a y s a n d t w o n a m e s .T h e t o w n w a s f o u n d e d i n i 2 5 5 a n d i t s n a m e w a s " Ko n i g s b e rg " . T h e G e rm a n a n d t h e P r u s s i a n p e o p l e l i v e d h e re . I n G e rm a n t h e n a m e " Ko n i g s b e rg " m e a n s " t h e k i n g ' s m o u n t a i n“ .T h e b i r t h o f t h e K a l i n i n g r a d re g i o n i s c o n n e c t e d w i t h t h e v i c t o r y o f t h e s o v i e t p e o p l e i n t h e g re a t p a t r i o t i c w a r. O n t h e 9 t h o f A p r i l , 1 9 4 6 a c c o rd i n g t o t h e d e c i s i o n s o f t h e Po t s d a m c o n f e re n c e , t h e n o r t h e rn p a r t o f e a s t P r u s s i a w i t h t h e t o w n o f Ko n i g s b e rg b e c a m e t h e p a r t o f t h e Ru s s i a n f e d e r a t i o n o n t h e J u l y , 1 9 4 6 Ko n i g s b e rg w a s r e n a m e d K a l i n i n g r a d a f t e r M i k h a i l K a l i n i n , t h e o u t s t a n d i n g s o v i e t r e v o l u t i o n a r y a n d s t a t e s m a n . N o w w е c e l e b r a t e t h e c i t y ' s d a y o n t h e 4 t h o f J u l y w i t h g re a t fi re w o r k s a n d c o n c e r t s .

O u r t o w n w a s g re a t l y r u i n e d d u r i n g t h e

w a r. To d a y ka l i n i n g r a d i s a m o d e m

r u s s i a n c i t y w i t h l o n g s t re e t s a n d b ro a d

a v e n u e s . T h e c e n t e r a n d t h e m a m s q u a re

o f ka l i n i n g r a d i s v i c t o r y s q u a re . T h e re

a re m a n y n e w b u i l d i n g s i n ka l i n i n g r a d

a n d t h e re a re o l d h o u s e s , c h u rc h e s ,

c a t h e d r a l s , f o r t s a n d f o r t re s s e s t h a t

re m e m b e r t h e o l d h i s t o r y o f ko n i g s b e rg

Today Kaliningrad is divided into 5 districts It has the

population of about 480,000 (four hundred and eighty

thousand) people.

Kaliningrad is an important industrial center There are

three unfrozen ports here; a trade sea port, a fishing sea

poll and a river port. The leading industries of the city ate

fishing industry, transport and power engineering, oil

extraction, pulp and paper industry The Amber plant,

which is unique in the world, is situated in the region.

Kaliningrad stands on the Pregola River. There were 7

bridges over the river Pregola in Konigsberg. They are

known as the classical seven. In 1936 Konigsberg

University set the following task: is it possible to

cross all the seven bridges without crossing one of

them twice? The famous Swiss mathematician

Leonhard Euler proved that it could not be done.

K a l i n i n g r a d i s a l a r g e e d u c a t i o n a l c e n t e r K a l i n i n g r a d h a s m o r e t h a n 2 0 s c i e n t i fi c r e s e a r c h i n s t i t u t i o n s a n d 5 h i g h e r e d u c a t i o n a l e s t a b l i s h m e n t s . Yo u n g p e o p l e c a n g e t e d u c a t i o n i n s t a t e u n i v e r s i t y , t e c h n i c a l u n i v e r s i t y , s e v e r a l t e c h n i c a l c o l l e g e s a n d p r o f e s s i o n a l s c h o o l s , m a r i n e c o l l e g e a n d B a l t i c m a r i n e a c a d e m y , m i l i t a r y a n d n a v a l i n s t i t u t e s , m e d i c a l a n d m u s i c c o l l e g e s .

K a l i n i n g r a d i s r i c h i n l i b r a r i e s . T h e b i g g e s t l i b r a r y i s t h e r e g i o n a l l i b r a r y. I t h a s a b o u t o n e m i l l i o n v o l u m e s a n d p e o p l e c a n a t t e n d i t s 3 3 r e a d i n g h a l l s .

K a l i n i n g r a d i a n s h a v e a l l p o s s i b i l i t i e s t o g o i n f o r s p o r t s . T h e r e a r e b i g s t a d i u m s i n o u r t o w n . We h a v e a n u m b e r o f s p o r t f a c i l i t i e s : t h e p a l a c e o f s p o r t s , s w i m m i n g p o o l s , t e n n i s c o u r t s , y a c h t c l u b s a n d m a n y s p o r t g r o u n d s .

Today Kaliningrad is the cultural center of the region. We can attend Drama and Puppet Theatres the Philharmonic Organ Concert Hall, the Picture Gallery, the History Museum and unique Amber Museum. We also have two theatrical studios and several cinemas.

T h e z o o i s re a l p r i d e o f o u r c i t y . i t i s a g re a t a t t r a c t i o n f o r c i t i z e n s a n d g u e s t s o f t h e t o w n . I t u s e d t o b e o f p l a c e o f fi e rc e b a t t l e i n 1 9 4 5 . I t s u ff e re d g re a t l y d u r i n g t h e w a r. M o s t o f t h e a n i m a l s w e re ex t e rm i n a t e d , o n l y 4 a n i m a l s s u r v i v e d – a h i p p o p o t a m u s , a b a d g e r , a d o n ke y a n d a d e e r. N o w Ka l i n i n g r a d z o o h a s a b o u t 3 8 0 s p e c i e s o f a n i m a l s . 3 4 o f t h e m a re i n c l u d e d i n t h e re d d a t a b o o k .

T h e re a re s o m e h i s t o r i c a l p l a c e s o f i n t e re s t i n Ka l i n i n g r a d .

T h e C a t h e d r a l b e c a m e a s y m b o l o f o u r c i t y. I t w a s

f o u n d e d i n 1 5 3 3 . i t t o o k a b o u t 5 0 y e a r s t o b u i l d

i t . D u r i n g t h e Wo r l d Wa r I I t h e C a t h e d r a l w a s

b a d l y d a m a g e d a n d a f t e r t h e f a l l o f Ko n i g s b e r g i t

w a s l e f t i n r u i n s . T h e re w a s a n i n t e n t i o n t o p u l l i t

d o w n , b u t t h e p re s e n c e o f K a n t ' s t o m b s a v e d i t .

A t p re s e n t t h e C a t h e d r a l i s b e i n g r e c o n s t r u c t e d .

I t s m u s e u m a n d o r g a n a re o p e n t o t h e p u b l i c .

T h e g r a v e o f I m m a n u e l Ka n t , t h e l a s t s h e l t e r

o f t h e g re a t p h i l o s o p h e r i s a t t h e C a t h e d r a l .

T h e t o m b w a s b u i l t b y Fr i e d r i c h L a r s i n 1 9 2 4 .

Ka n t w a s t h e m o s t f a m o u s t h i n ke r i n E u ro p e

i n h i s o w n l i f e t i m e . H e w a s a n ex t r a o rd i n a r y

m a n . H i s w o r k i n g d a y l a s t e d u p t o 1 5 h o u r s

( f ro m 5 i n t h e m o rn i n g t i l l 1 0 i n t h e

e v e n i n g ) . H e w a s v e r y p u n e t e a l . W h e n

Ko n i g s b e rg re s i d e n t s s a w h i m w a l k i n g t h e y

c o u l d c h e c k t h e i r l i m e . H e l i v e d t o t h e a g e o f

8 0 a n d d i e d o n Fe b r u a r y 1 2 , 1 8 0 4 .

There are a lot of m o n u m e n t s i n t h e c i t y . t h e re i s a m o n u m e n t o f t h e G e rm a n w r i t e r Fre d r i c h S c h a l l e r o p p o s i t e t h e d r a m a t h e a t re . H e re a re m o n u m e n t s t o A . Pu s h k i n a n d t o M . Ku t u z o v , t h e i r a u t h o r s t h e f a m o u s Ru s s i a n a rc h i t e c t M . A n i ku s h i n . T h e s t a t u e t o I . Ka n t w a s l o s t d u r i n g t h e w a r a n d n o w t h e m o n u m e n t t o I m m a n u e l Ka n t s t a n d s o n i t s . Fo rm a p l a c e o p p o s i t e t h e b u i l d i n g o f t h e U n i v e r s i t y.

In Kaliningrad you can see the monuments of German culture and the memorials connected with the history of the great patriotic war. A memorial to 1,200 solders and the victory park have been built to commemorate the victory' of soviet people in the war. There is the eternal fire there. It is burning the memory of the heroes died in the second world war.

Red and g reen co l o r s p reva i l i n the c i t y. Red i s the co l o r i f t i l ed roo f s and b r i cks . G reen

i s the co l o r o f t rees and p l an ts . Many un ique p l an ts g row i n ou r s t ree ts and pa rks .

Fo r ex a m p l e , Ku t u z o v S t re e t i s o n l y 1 k m l o n g b u t 1 1 4 k i n d s o f t re e s a n d s h r u b s a re g ro w i n g i n t h i s s t re e t . Re d - l e a v e d b e e c h , s o m e r a re k i n d s o f j a s m i n e - re d a n d d o u b l e , s i l v e r p o p l a r , w h i t e a n d y e l l o w a c a c i a , b l a c k p i n e , l a rc h , Lo m b a rd y o r p y r a m i d a l o a k , w e e p i n g b i rc h , g i g a n t i c y e w t re e a n d rh o d o d e n d ro n a re a m o n g t h o s e w h i c h g ro w i n t h i s s t re e t . T h e y w e re b ro u g h t t o o l d Ko n i g s b e rg f ro m J a p a n , S c a n d i n a v i a , N o r t h a n d S o u t h A m e r i c a . N o w t h e y a re w e l l p re s e r v e d a n d p ro t e c t e d i n o u r c i t y.

Pe o p l e s a y t h a t t h e re a re t h re e b o t a n i c a l g a rd e n s i n Ka l i n i n g r a d . T h e re a re : t h e t o w n i t s e l f , t h e U n i v e r s i t y B o t a n i c a l g a rd e n a n d

Ku t u z o v s t re e t .

M y t h s s u r r o u n d i n g t h e c i t y

C i t i e s l o v e m y t h s a n d t h e y c r e a t e m y t h s . A t l e a s t

t w o m y t h s s u r r o u n d t h e c i t y o f K a l i n i n g r a d - o l d

Ko n i g s b e r g : A m b e r R o o m ( t h e t r a c e s o f t h i s g r e a t

c u l t u r a l m a s t e r p i e c e w e r e l o s t d u r i n g w o r l d w a r t w o

o n t h i s t e r r i t o r y ) ; t h e e x i s t e n c e o f u n d e r g r o u n d

K o n i g s b e r g w i t h i t s t u n n e l s , s e c r e t p a t h s a n d f o r t s .

I t ’ s b e l i e v e d t h a t e v e n t h e s e w e r h a t c h e s ( f r o m t h e

G e r m a n t i m e s ) a r e n o t j u s t f o r a s e w e r s y s t e m a n d

f o r a c c e s s t o c o m m u n i c a t i o n s , t h e y a r e p o r t a l s ,

e n t r i e s , p a s s a g e s , l i n k s a n d j u n c t i o n s t h a t t o g e t h e r

f o r m a s i n g l e c o - e x i s t e n c e , c o - i n v o l v e m e n t ;

g e o m e t r i c s y m b o l s a n d fi g u r e s p r o v i d e a n i d e a a b o u t

t h e p o s s i b i l i t i e s o f a c o d e .

Most o f the Ka l i n ing rad ians and the v i s i to r s l i ke the c i ty and admi re i t g rea t l y.

Kaliningradians say about themselves: “We are

Russians because we speak Russian and our culture is

Russian, but in view of our ties to Europe, we kind of

feel European”.