I don’t really want to talk about such a city,use classic journalistic templates. After all, both the city and the entire region have a rich, eventful history and a difficult fate. The westernmost region and regional center of the Russian Federation has almost never stood aside from the political, economic, cultural and scientific events that have shaken Europe for centuries.
A bit of history
Describing Kaliningrad, attractionswhich is not inferior to any of the Baltic capitals, first of all it is necessary to tell a little about its history. Founded no later than the 4th century AD, the small but cozy town of Tuwangste remained one of the centers of Prussian civilization for about a thousand years. At that time, along with the Prussians, the ancestors of today's Poles, Belarusians, Russians and Lithuanians lived in the city relatively peacefully. A similar way of life, common interests, the proximity of pagan religions and intertribal marriages created an atmosphere of unity and well-being. The Christian faith, slowly penetrating into all corners of Europe, could not upset the balance. All this ended in the 13th century "thanks" to the knights of the Teutonic Order, who decided that the local population either prayed to the wrong pagan gods or did not profess Christianity too zealously. Since then, the region and the city itself have become a stronghold of the warlike German nation, and its population assimilates and gradually forgets its Baltic and Slavic roots. The Teutonic Knights and German colonists built the Königsberg castle and three urban settlements on the site of the Prussian Tuwangste: Altstadt, Löbenicht and Kneiphof. The surviving architectural ensembles of these three settlements are today the main attractions of Kaliningrad. The relative independence of all three cities lasted until 1724, when they were united into a single urban entity. Since then, all of East Prussia with its capital in Königsberg could dictate its terms to a significant part of Europe, alternately fighting with neighboring countries. The turning point in the city's history came in the mid-20th century, when the city and region came under the jurisdiction of the USSR as Germany's reparations for World War II and was renamed Kaliningrad.
Famous natives of the city
Any city resident can, quite objectively,It is arguable that the main attraction of Kaliningrad is its natives. This circumstance allows the city to compete with European capitals for the right to be called the "forge" of European science and government. The following were born here: the Swedish Queen Maria Eleonora, the Prussian King Friedrich I, as well as Peter I's godson, the Governor of Revel and Field Marshal General Peter August Friedrich, and many other statesmen and public figures from Germany, Scandinavia, Russia and even Israel. As for scientists and naturalists, it is enough to mention Emmanuel Kant, who was born in 1724 in Kneiphof, now called "Kant Island". Besides him, the founder of German pharmaceutical chemistry Karl Gottfried Hagen and the German ophthalmologist Eugen von Hippel were born here. The Soviet period in the city's history is marked by such famous people as cosmonaut Alexei Leonov, poet Robert Rozhdestvensky and singer Oleg Gazmanov.
Architecture
The architectural appearance of the city is very strongsuffered as a result of Allied air raids in 1944-45. The current architectural landmarks of Kaliningrad are a small part of what was here before the war. Restoration of many objects continues to this day. And yet, a tourist visiting this city will certainly like the Church of the Memory of Queen Louise, the Königsberg House of Technology and the main architectural landmark of Kaliningrad - the Cathedral. By decision of the city administration, restoration of the historical center has begun using pre-war photographs, drawings and plans.
Culture
Mentioning the sights of KaliningradOne cannot help but mention the number of museums, theaters, libraries and concert halls located within the city. These include the Kaliningrad Regional Historical and Art Museum, the Amber Museum, the Kaliningrad Art Gallery, and the pearl of Kaliningrad's cultural attractions - the Museum of the World Ocean. There are several theaters in the city: the Kaliningrad Drama Theater, the Musical Theater on Basseynaya, the Puppet Theater, and the Concert Hall of the Kaliningrad Regional Philharmonic. Despite the problems with crossing the Lithuanian border, residents of the region are not deprived of tours by leading groups from Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Bridges
The Pregolya River divides the city into four parts.In this difficult situation, the residents of Königsberg, in the old days, built many bridges that facilitated pedestrian, horse-drawn and automobile movement. These bridges, well preserved today, are also among the main attractions of modern Kaliningrad. Of particular interest are the Berlin Bridge, the Honey Bridge, the Wooden Bridge and a number of others included in the famous "Seven Bridges of Königsberg". Listing the sights of Kaliningrad is a very lengthy process. The best thing is to come and see everything with your own eyes. No stories or photographs can replace seeing with your own eyes the combination of Gothic architecture and the best examples of Soviet neoclassicism.
