By the third millennium
the Kaliningrad region has become a unique Russian area where many cultures f East, Central and West Europe co-xist.
First settlers who
lived here in the III millennium B.C. were mainly hunters. Thick forests rich with wild animals were perfect for hunting.
The hunters lived among the lakes full of fish. In the middle of III and in the end of VI centuries some Germanic tribes moved
to the Zemland peninsular. These events initiated the development of the Prussian culture. By the beginning of VI century
Prussians took over the western part of the Mazur Lakeland having absorbed and edged out other Germanic tribes that settled
there in the III - IV centuries B.C.
In the beginning of
XII century Prussia faced the impending danger. The Teutonic Order invasion at the end of XII century wrote sanguinary pages
in the history of Prussia. More than 50 years Prussians heroically struggled against the invaders. But they couldn't resist
the rush of conquerors who had a higher cultural potential. Gradually Prussians assimilated, began speaking German, and abandoned
their customs. Teutonic Order faced the vistas to establish the state in the invaded lands. As the Order was proceeding to
the East each success crusades immediately vested by construction of fortresses and castles. Fortress Koenigsberg became the
most important outpost of Zemland Germanization. In its heyday (XIV - XV centuries) the Order gained secure economic and political
positions. But strong enemies opposed it. In winter of 1410 Poland and Lithuania began an active preparation to a joint military
campaign against the Order. There were Russian units within the Lithuanian army as well. On 15th July a decisive
battle took place near Grunvald. It lasted for more than 6 hours and finished with the full triumph of Polish-Lithuanian-Russian
forces. As a result Teutonic knights were weakened and were brought thereafter under the Polish sovereignty control.
In 1812 East Prussia
became the area of the powerful French force concentration. The forces were grouped for the campaign in Russia. Napoleon arrived
to Koenigsberg right before the beginning of invasion. Here he passed muster to his army that also comprised the Prussian
units, that didn't participate in the military actions. On 6th January 1813 Russian troops marched into Koenigsberg,
and by the end of the month Prussia was totally liberated from the Napoleon army.
The First World War
took great toll of the East Prussia. Military disruptions, exacerbation of social, political and national contradictions in
Germany, Poland and Lithuania destroyed economic relations with neighbouring states, violated historical openness of the region.
This caused public discontent. Thus in November 1918 revolutionary events burst out in the East Prussia and in the entire
Germany. But the revolutionary action fell through. On 4th - 5th March the last rebels were driven from
the barracks in the Lithuanian Wall. Repression began in Koenigsberg and in other towns of the East Prussia.
For about five years
of the Second World War there were no military actions in the East Prussia. But in 1944 a rush construction of the so-called
"East Wall" began. The entire defence system was made as the defence in depth and it stretched along the boarder of the East
Prussia up to the Baltic coastline. It was a serious obstacle on the way of the Soviet troops. But the first strike on the
East Prussia was made not by the Red Army but by the British aviation. At nights 27th and 30th August
1944 the British dropped about 40 thousand aerobombs on Koenigsberg. The centre of the old city was totally destroyed and
almost 50 thousand people became homeless. By the end of summer 1944 the Red Army came up to the border of the East Prussia.
On 18th October 1944 the troops of the 3rd Belorussian Front came with battles to the area. Elimination
of the isolated nazy groups began on 10th February 1945. The defence system of Koenigsberg comprised the external
defence line, overcome by the Russian troops in January, and the three internal defence lines. The traces of these lines are
noticed even today, dozens of years after the battles.
On 6th
April the storm of the city began. The unified defence system of Koenigsberg held only for the first day and by the end of
9th April Koenigsberg capitulated. In July-August 1945 when the war in Europe was over the victor countries - the
USSR, the USA and Great Britain agreed about liquidation of the East Prussia at the Conference in Potsdam. Northern part with
the total area of 15.1 thousand sq. km including Koenigsberg, the adjacent territory and bays (about one third of the territory
of the region) was given to the Soviet Union, and the remaining part to Poland as a historical possession. Inviolability of
these boarders today is a sine qua non of the European security. This provision is fixed in the Final Act of the Conference
on Security and Co-operation in Europe held in Helsinki in 1975.
On 7th
April 1946 the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR adopted the Decree "On Organisation of the Koenigsberg Region within
the RSFSR". On 4th of July the administrative centre was re-named into Kaliningrad, and the entire region into
the Kaliningrad region. According to the Potsdam Conference decision the German population was to be resettled to Germany
from the areas split off the German State. Relocation of the German population from the East Prussia began in 1947 and terminated
by the beginning of 1948. On 21st June 1946 the Supreme Soviet of the USSR adopted the Decree "On Arrangements
on Economy in the Koenigsberg Region" envisaged settlement in the new area on the principles of volunteerism, plan and state
stimulation of relocates.
The formation of the
region went on in difficult conditions. Out of 360 industrial enterprises located on the Soviet territory of the East Prussia
182 was totally destroyed and the rest survived for 50-60%. The situation aggravated by the lack of energy and raw material
base. Plumbing and sewage systems could not function. Koenigsberg was 80-90% destroyed. Out of all administrative buildings
only 8% remained, 60% of Tilsit (now Sovietsk) the second town in size and about 90% of Insterburg (now Chernyakhovsk) were
in ruins.
Kaliningrad was to
become one of the major fishing regions of the country. By 1st January 1947 four fishing factories, a wharf, foundry
repair and engineering works, a refrigerated warehouse and other enterprises were functioning. Two big seaports were organised
in Kaliningrad on the basis of the former Lesnaya harbour and in Pionersky on the territory of the fishing harbour. The reconstruction
of food industry began. Working capacity of electric power stations increased twice, the production of cellulose and paper
had grown. In August of 1947 wagon works started mass production of four axis 50 tons dump cars.
Beginning from 1991
profound changes took place in the region. First of all they were related to abolition of the Kaliningrad region status. Formerly
it used to be the closed area for foreigners where major formations of Russian army and Navy dislocated. This event stimulated
economic activity in the region, made it attractive to foreign investments. In January 1996 the region was declared the area
of the Special Economic Zone.
The citizens of Kaliningrad
reconstructed their city and their region with their own effort. They built it on the ruins anew. Today the Kaliningrad region
has become not only economically self-sufficient but it represents Russia worthily in the European Community.
All above information was from the Offical
Kaliningrad site found on the links page.
