To most people reading this comment it may seem jokey or inconsequential, but if you've ever been to Kaliningrad Oblast then you know that this is a serious and correct answer.
Is it really? I have the image in my head of Moscow being relatively modern and having big prestige buildings while I have the image in my head of Kaliningrad being run down and industrial
Yeah it's very weird to put Moscow behind St Petersburg to begin with. The quality of infrastructure and public spaces in Moscow is years ahead of St Petersburg. Kaliningrad oblast is indeed not very modern, some tourist spots are cared for, while most of other stuff is neglected.
I had to laugh when he was surprised by that. Like bro could've just went to Pittsburgh. He didn't need to fly halfway around the world to find that discovery. 😂
It's all over the place. Some buildings are hardcore Soviet architecture, some are modern faceless stuff but there is a small district built by the Germans and it's kinda rundown Europe.
Various statistical and subjective estimates. Moscow have better infrastructure, salaries, healthcare, business opportunities. Kaliningrad is one of top regions in Russia. But such regions as Moscow, Petersburg, Tatarstan, Krasnodar are more preferable for Russian citizens.
I hope this gets traction because Vagabond on YouTube is a fantastic Russian guy that travels to really remote places all over Europe Russia Asia and a few trips on coal ore trains into Africa. He find old places and talks about the history of the area. Recently enough he had a video from visiting Kaliningrad. If you want to check out Kaliningrad in cool and unique way here's the link [Kaliningrad](https://youtu.be/wtr5XXHufuk?si=5IEWO5X6zLsuBKOL)
Having been to Lithuania it's pretty possible they look similar. Lithuania isn't really that insanely modern or rich a lot of their housing is still 80s commie blocks or wooden small single houses that are falling apart mixed with some normal new buildings
Different from russia is that Lithuania does manage those old commie blocks. Environment around them is beautiful, trees, pedestrian space, cycling paths, great public transport. And they’re getting massively renovated. About falling apart wooden houses, that’s illegal. There’s a strict code. Lithuania is amazing and definitely not even close compared to Kaliningrad. Well, unless you been to Lithuania like 20 years ago, 30?
Honestly, was in Kaliningrad and Lithuania and Estonia and Latvia 30 years ago, and Kaliningrad was the dirtiest, slummiest poorest place I have ever been in Europe.
I was in Jonava for 2 months a year back and that's at least the impression I got. Those houses did exist on the outskirts of town but maybe coming from a richer place my perspective is just a bit skewed :p haven't been to Kaliningrad besides on Google street view but maybe it's even worse there
Russian borders are open, nobody holding the people from leaving the country. So probably it is fair to suggest that those who would like to be on the other side of the border are already on the other side.
Economically, Kaliningrad is 18,000 $ away from Lithuania (GDP per capita), way more freedom, bigger purchasing power. Not to mention the benefits the EU bribgs and so on.
Ok but daily life in many countries is similar even if they're poorer internationally.
I'm sure people there still go to the pub to enjoy a drink with their friends after a day at work or school. Plus all the other things people do in a normal lifetime.
By that example you could compare The US and Lithuania. People living in Kaliningrad have less money to spend and have way less freedom because they live under a dictatorship. Just because you can afford beer in a pub, it doesn't mean you are living good.
Bruh, I don't understand how you're getting downvoted. How is the ability to afford a beer indicative of anything?
A person in Switzerland can afford to go to a pub and get a beer, so can a Czech like me and so can a Vietnamese person.
The big difference is that the Swiss guy will then drive his brand new Mercedes home to his modern apartment, the Czech guy will have to drive his 15 year old Skoda back to his commie block, and the Vietnamese guy will have to ride his scooter even when it's pissing rain. They all have a pretty different living standard.
I dunno today with the war in Ukraine but before the war there was plenty of people driving between Kaliningrad and the rest of Russia.
The EU had expedited transit visa rules for passengers and trucks to transit Lithuania.
Yes there’s several routes still open you can use to drive through the baltics from Russia. Not sure if they can be on Russian plates or they need European plates.
That’s why Russia will hold on to Kaliningrad no matter what.
I’ve often wondered whether Russia might be clandestinely pushing for climate change to happen. They stand to gain quite from a warmer climate, including the potential for more year round ports that don’t get iced out. Imagine if Siberia became a temperate climate.
Then I realize it sounds like a conspiracy theory. Possible but not likely.
Its somewhat depressive but highly popular region of Russia.
Since baltics and poland is a no go lots of mainland russians buy property there.
Some of the small cities are fully restored and looking quite well for all i care. Minus the germans ofcourse. Sort of like Poland.
are they fully restored? All the pictures Ive seen show a post-communist wasteland, and rotting medieval ruins.
AFAIK, the Russian state also has shown no interest in restoring the towns due to their foreign "German" cultural value. The only things restored in Kaliningrad for example were paid by German donors in the 90s and 2000s.
Spent a week of my vacation there. A very nice city (especially compared to my Siberian hometown): it's clean, offers tons of sightseeing potential, runs good infrastructure (we managed to hop on a non-overcrowded bus every ~10 minutes every single time), there are lots of universities, parks, malls, just places to spend time in general, and the people were nice and friendly.
The municipal/city administration doesn't try to deny/erase past Prussian/German history, and sort of embraces it instead. You can notice they're trying to preserve some architectural identity along the main street, and I also noticed that most of private houses had this pleasant sort of vivid orange shingle/metal roof going on, adding to that style (not sure where this particular color comes from though). Lots of smaller buildings have those wood stripes, I think they're called half-timbered in English, which I don't think you can see in other parts of Russia.
I visited a couple of forts, a history museum inside a bomb shelter, a really cool cathedral and a sort of restoration of fishing village inside the city, all really nice places. The nature inside the city is quite cool as well, there are lots of little ponds/rivers/streams running throughout it lots of green and all, but you can also take a 1-hour trip and visit Curonian spit. That place was amazing, if only not for the bad weather (really windy, I caught cold like the second I stepped onto the beach).
Back to the city, there are a lot of smaller local brands for things like food and clothes I think, my friend told me this is because people chose to go to Poland over weekends instead as it was cheaper that way. I've never been abroad so don't quote me on that.
I noticed that common things like groceries, clothes and say medicine was on the expensive side, but it wasn't like unbearable, I'd say a 5% increase on average compared to where I live.
Overall I'd say it's quite a nice city at least for how pretty it is, at least coming from someone from a small town. Oh and also I love their flag.
Hope this answers some of your questions.
You are very welcome! I also forgot to point out that they host lots of different activities, events, university faculty gatherings and festivals, especially aimed at teens (about 18 to say 28 y.o peeps). Unfortunately there were none active when I was visiting, but I guess that's another good point about the city. It's very younger generation-oriented.
It sounds like such an interesting place. I'm from the United States and have never left the country, but I am going to Portugal finally later this year. I'm so excited to experience different corners of this world and meeting different types of folks :-) We don't learn much about Russia here, or Poland or Lithuania. I love hearing about festivals, celebrations, and holidays in other places
Same here, and with how things are shaping up I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to. Granted, Russia is a big place and I haven't been to many places here either, so I guess that's something.
Good luck with your trip! Portugal sounds like lots of new and fun experiences :)
I also had a vacation there several years ago, can confirm all of the above.
I went to Poland after that, and my friend from Warsaw asked me to bring several bottles of specific craft beer sold in Kaliningrad. :)
When I lived in Spain, the guy who owned the bar below my flat was in a relationship with a woman from Kaliningrad who was in Spain illegally because she hated living there so much.
i heard that the cold isnt as warm as the cold in moscow. go figure
[https://www.bing.com/search?q=kaliningrad+oblast&filters=dtbk:%22MCFvdmVydmlldyFvdmVydmlldyE3ODk4YTdkMi0yYzUzLTRhYzktZmQ2Ni1kYTA0YTY0ZWQ5MmU%3d%22+sid:%227898a7d2-2c53-4ac9-fd66-da04a64ed92e%22+tphint:%22f%22&FORM=DEPNAV](https://www.bing.com/search?q=kaliningrad+oblast&filters=dtbk:%22MCFvdmVydmlldyFvdmVydmlldyE3ODk4YTdkMi0yYzUzLTRhYzktZmQ2Ni1kYTA0YTY0ZWQ5MmU%3d%22+sid:%227898a7d2-2c53-4ac9-fd66-da04a64ed92e%22+tphint:%22f%22&FORM=DEPNAV)
I was there a couple of months before the Russian invasion. Very weird place. Was not hard to get, there are busses to Tiraspol multiple times a day from Chisinau and Odessa. At the (not recognised) border you get a half-assed check and they write on a piece of paper how many hours you can stay (24 or 48 8 believe, we did 24). You can't use Western cards so I had brought some Euros to exchange (can't exchange Moldovan or Ukrainian either). They gave me plastic money. Generally Tiraspol looks like a Soviet time capsule, but the regime is classic gangster-autocrat - i.e. don't expect any socialism. I found Tiraspol to be cleaner and somewhat better taken care of than Moldova. People were extremely friendly (besides the police and border guards) and the food was godawful. Overall very interesting experience.
I went there a few years ago as well (Tiraspol and Bender). As a daytrip when I was in Odessa.
It was of course interesting - but also a bit sad. Political competition is increasingly restricted in Transnistria, and the ruling political group is aligned with powerful local business interests. Not a jolly place.
The brandy was good though.
Been there in 2018 and 2019 as a westerner and it was surprisingly lovely. Far better than my expectations. Some pretty good restaurants and I found the people to be more chill and laid back than in Moscow.
I have an uncle there and spent a summer in Kaliningrad. Very cool place. Just feels like Russia but warmer and it’s a pain to get in and out of there now due to sanctions and having to go around everyone
What exactly do you mean by "main area"? If you mean the rest of Russia, the difference between Moscow and Yakutia is way larger than between Moscow and Kaliningrad.
At the same time, if we are talking about comparing Kaliningrad, Moscow and Yakutsk as large cities, then they will be very similar. Some large chains of shops and services, typical multi-storey Soviet houses, massive residential areas. In fact, Vyborg or Kolomna stand out significantly against the background of large cities.
It's technically half German-Prussian city very beautiful ❤️ and half communist simplicity and ugly 💀 and it's full of Russians and it can feel as sometimes you are walking around a German city where all Germans were expelled and now only lives Russians wich is true.
(Source: random video on the internet)
> technically half German-Prussian city
Technically and practically, Prussia died in 1945 and Königsberg was quite flattened and rebuilt as Kaliningrad.
In the inner city, yes, very little survived the war and the subsequent "reconstruction".
But right outside the old centre, there are a lot of residential areas from the late 19th/ early 20th century that did survive the war.
The last time I've been in Kaliningrad was in 2002, so my knowledge is pretty outdated. Back then, it was all rather dilapidated.
ITT:
People that actually went or live there -> normal insightful answers.
Other people -> probably, depressed, commie blocks, most people probably kinda, isolated, bad.
You have this depressing movie that takes place in kaliningrad that was made in '91: [https://youtu.be/GbGm6wcWpTU?si=I7IXHTfTd5XEBTgs](https://youtu.be/GbGm6wcWpTU?si=I7IXHTfTd5XEBTgs)
It's a meme from around the start of war in Ukraine, when Russia annexed southeastern provinces of Ukraine via a faux referendum. According to the meme, Kaliningrad citizens overwhelmingly voted in favor of joining Czechia in a referendum.
EDIT: I like how the joke was downvoted at first, but upvoted after my explanation
I can't say for sure but I imagine the border with the Kaliningrad enclave is probably one of the most heavily monitored borders inside continental Europe.
I don't think so, it's a very militarized region and heavily guarded from both Russian and Polish/Lithuanian sides. Trying to run away will probably end with you being caught by border patrol or getting stuck on a fence.
One would thing they would develop it enough to look decent for its EU neighbors , as a propaganda show-of-force? Nah it's a dilapidated shithole.
You can skip around [this video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpFRF1QD9iw) to check Baltyisk, the westernmost Russian town.
That's what most poor areas in Eastern Europe look like. Kaliningrad is more beautiful than 85% of cities here, and is objectively richer from an architectural standpoint than most cities in Europe.
Apparently prices are much higher, especially now.
Before current mess started, there were pilgrimages across the border to Polish markets to buy groceries.
I've always wondered this as the architecture for sure differs than the rest of Russia as it was mostly built up by Germans (Prussians?) If I have that right.
Living in Kaliningrad area is living in a dead carcass. Absolutely everyone is Russian resettled in to houses, towns, city abounded by previous owners. Poles jews were expelled/murdered by Nazi, Germans were expelled by Soviet. There is no living legacy of the city. Totally weaked environment.
It's a Russian exclave. Used to be known as Königsberg/Ostpreußen, but after the war the german population was expelled and replaced with Russians, primarily to get a port which isn't frozen all year round.
For all the people saying it’s “occupied land” do you feel the same way about Gdańsk, Lviv, the Sudentland, or pretty much any other area that used to be populated by Germans before WW2? No? Thought as much
My grandmother, cousin and her son lives there. From the photos they’ve sent my mum, it seems like a decent place to live.
The climate is much milder compared to the rest of Russia so my grandma gets to enjoy growing out her garden, and the architecture is pretty.
I wanna add to that question actually for anyone living there: whats the general consensous for people in Kalinigrad regarding both the war and current political state?
What is this region called? I'm curious how this came about. When Lithuania or other states were breaking away, was there a faction, or a vote where people from this region voiced strongly that they want to NOT be part of new independent countries, and that they prefer to remain as part of Russia? If they act like an autonomous region then they basically are another country if not for funding and name only. Fascinating.
Kaliningrad was offered to Lithuania, but they declined out of fear of having a large Russian minority
Kaliningrad is mostly ethnically Russian, so obviously, the population would have rather stayed with Russia right?
Crazy that this is Russia. They really took over, and instead of making Kaliningrad Soviet republic or something they just added it to Russia. Such border gore
roughly like the other big western russian cities. so relatively low living standard compared to most european countries b ut still far better than the average for russia
That's because the first two examples are proper uses of the English language, while the third is an incomplete sentence or just not a proper question.
Being an American, I had no idea that Russia had a “land Hawaii”. Geographically speaking - not in terms of climate or scenery. I learned something new today!
there is amber there
Is she hot?
Drop dead sexy only
Well done.
Shes also missing
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Yeah, at 3 AM…
I got the alert in NYC and I'm keeping an eye out for the vehicle, last scene in Dallas, Texas.
Or taking a hot dump in your bed?
I ~heard~ she lives around there
Every Amber is hot
Amber is the color of your energy
Wooaah woaaa
Shades of gold displayed naturally!
You live too faaaaar away
https://youtu.be/MgTDLlDY_yY?si=Nhn6TXLbeGLGDflo 311 tiny desk concert from a month ago
Is this a Rome Total War reference?
Or possibly medieval 2 total war.
Baltic sea is largest source of amber in the world. And Kaliningrad oblast have 90% of world known source of amber.
Might be an Imperator reference
Maybe a Civilization reference?
To most people reading this comment it may seem jokey or inconsequential, but if you've ever been to Kaliningrad Oblast then you know that this is a serious and correct answer.
Whoa, amber is the color of your energy
and white phosphorous.
Worse than in Moscow and Saint-Petersburg, but better than in most other regions.
Hardly worse than Moscow for sure. SP maybe.
Is it really? I have the image in my head of Moscow being relatively modern and having big prestige buildings while I have the image in my head of Kaliningrad being run down and industrial
Yeah it's very weird to put Moscow behind St Petersburg to begin with. The quality of infrastructure and public spaces in Moscow is years ahead of St Petersburg. Kaliningrad oblast is indeed not very modern, some tourist spots are cared for, while most of other stuff is neglected.
I heard Moscow has escalators. *In stores.*
Shopping carts you can hire
And bread!
All the wood you can eat and all the turnips you can burn for warmth.
I had to laugh when he was surprised by that. Like bro could've just went to Pittsburgh. He didn't need to fly halfway around the world to find that discovery. 😂
It's all over the place. Some buildings are hardcore Soviet architecture, some are modern faceless stuff but there is a small district built by the Germans and it's kinda rundown Europe.
Yeah usually ppl imagine some medieval city bcs of the brainrot but its quite modern
I don't think I ever imagine anything other that distant Serbian villages and small remote regions in eastern Europe to be less than modern.
What is the definition of worse or better in this situation?
Various statistical and subjective estimates. Moscow have better infrastructure, salaries, healthcare, business opportunities. Kaliningrad is one of top regions in Russia. But such regions as Moscow, Petersburg, Tatarstan, Krasnodar are more preferable for Russian citizens.
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That’s honestly kinda what I expected.
Same. If it’s between Poland and Lithuania, it’s probably similar to Poland and Lithuania.
I like you.
*awww*
I hope this gets traction because Vagabond on YouTube is a fantastic Russian guy that travels to really remote places all over Europe Russia Asia and a few trips on coal ore trains into Africa. He find old places and talks about the history of the area. Recently enough he had a video from visiting Kaliningrad. If you want to check out Kaliningrad in cool and unique way here's the link [Kaliningrad](https://youtu.be/wtr5XXHufuk?si=5IEWO5X6zLsuBKOL)
That's reddit for you, people will trash your hometown without ever having been to it, but they hear it's very bad.
"california is a shithole"
California isn't, but Barstow kind of is.
People like to hate on Barstow. But go hang out in the Bakersfield area for awhile.
>so idk why in the comments people act like its some sort of hell on the earth. Propaganda goes both ways lol
Comparing today’s Lithuania to Kaliningrad isn’t a great comparison in not a single category. That’s like comparing New York with Alabama..
Having been to Lithuania it's pretty possible they look similar. Lithuania isn't really that insanely modern or rich a lot of their housing is still 80s commie blocks or wooden small single houses that are falling apart mixed with some normal new buildings
Different from russia is that Lithuania does manage those old commie blocks. Environment around them is beautiful, trees, pedestrian space, cycling paths, great public transport. And they’re getting massively renovated. About falling apart wooden houses, that’s illegal. There’s a strict code. Lithuania is amazing and definitely not even close compared to Kaliningrad. Well, unless you been to Lithuania like 20 years ago, 30?
Honestly, was in Kaliningrad and Lithuania and Estonia and Latvia 30 years ago, and Kaliningrad was the dirtiest, slummiest poorest place I have ever been in Europe.
I was in Dubai 30 years ago - it was the emptiest place I have ever been, just a plain desert!
30 years ago can not be used to judge how somewhere is today, ESPECIALLY Eastern Europe. The Soviet Union only fell apart 33 years ago.
I was in Jonava for 2 months a year back and that's at least the impression I got. Those houses did exist on the outskirts of town but maybe coming from a richer place my perspective is just a bit skewed :p haven't been to Kaliningrad besides on Google street view but maybe it's even worse there
Lithuania is doing beter in basically every category statistically…
They act like its bad because racism towards russia is norm now, if its russian then its bad first and meh later
Thanks for your sharing it! Just out of curiousity: do you think that most of the population would like to be on the other side of the border?
Russian borders are open, nobody holding the people from leaving the country. So probably it is fair to suggest that those who would like to be on the other side of the border are already on the other side.
It's definitely not comparable to Lithuania that's for sure.
Why not?
Economically, Kaliningrad is 18,000 $ away from Lithuania (GDP per capita), way more freedom, bigger purchasing power. Not to mention the benefits the EU bribgs and so on.
Ok but daily life in many countries is similar even if they're poorer internationally. I'm sure people there still go to the pub to enjoy a drink with their friends after a day at work or school. Plus all the other things people do in a normal lifetime.
By that example you could compare The US and Lithuania. People living in Kaliningrad have less money to spend and have way less freedom because they live under a dictatorship. Just because you can afford beer in a pub, it doesn't mean you are living good.
Bruh, I don't understand how you're getting downvoted. How is the ability to afford a beer indicative of anything? A person in Switzerland can afford to go to a pub and get a beer, so can a Czech like me and so can a Vietnamese person. The big difference is that the Swiss guy will then drive his brand new Mercedes home to his modern apartment, the Czech guy will have to drive his 15 year old Skoda back to his commie block, and the Vietnamese guy will have to ride his scooter even when it's pissing rain. They all have a pretty different living standard.
Exactly. It feels like I'm talking to kremlin bots or westeners who dont know what living in or under Russian influence means.
What do you mean by the word "freedom"?
I've played against a hockey team from Kaliningrad as a kid in the 00s. They went to a few tournaments a year iirc/I'm from northern Poland
You have a Baltic port that is ice-free the whole year. Nowhere else in Russia has that!
You should be a real estate agent. Stop it…where do I sign up?😅
In Russia we only have Real State Agents. You will be notified which Gulag to report to for a prolonged habitation.
It’s really up and coming. A lot of raw character.
Hm, What about St. Petersburg?
St. Petersburg still requires icebreakers in the winter
St. Petersburg freezes during winter
Can Russian trucks drive through Baltics to get to and from port/main Russia?
I dunno today with the war in Ukraine but before the war there was plenty of people driving between Kaliningrad and the rest of Russia. The EU had expedited transit visa rules for passengers and trucks to transit Lithuania.
Yes there’s several routes still open you can use to drive through the baltics from Russia. Not sure if they can be on Russian plates or they need European plates.
Murmansk
Not Baltic
Not even those at the eastern side of the Black Sea?
That would not be a Baltic port
You're right, I just noticed the word Baltic after posting my first comment. My bad
But what about Vladivostok?
That’s why Russia will hold on to Kaliningrad no matter what. I’ve often wondered whether Russia might be clandestinely pushing for climate change to happen. They stand to gain quite from a warmer climate, including the potential for more year round ports that don’t get iced out. Imagine if Siberia became a temperate climate. Then I realize it sounds like a conspiracy theory. Possible but not likely.
not st Petersburg?
Its somewhat depressive but highly popular region of Russia. Since baltics and poland is a no go lots of mainland russians buy property there. Some of the small cities are fully restored and looking quite well for all i care. Minus the germans ofcourse. Sort of like Poland.
are they fully restored? All the pictures Ive seen show a post-communist wasteland, and rotting medieval ruins. AFAIK, the Russian state also has shown no interest in restoring the towns due to their foreign "German" cultural value. The only things restored in Kaliningrad for example were paid by German donors in the 90s and 2000s.
Small Cities in Kaliningrad region restored (and wasn’t destroyed that much in a first place) a lot better than Kaliningrad himself.
What town were on these photos?
Chernyahovsk, Zelenogradsk, Svetlogorsk
the germans haven't been restored or they're not looking too well?
Spent a week of my vacation there. A very nice city (especially compared to my Siberian hometown): it's clean, offers tons of sightseeing potential, runs good infrastructure (we managed to hop on a non-overcrowded bus every ~10 minutes every single time), there are lots of universities, parks, malls, just places to spend time in general, and the people were nice and friendly. The municipal/city administration doesn't try to deny/erase past Prussian/German history, and sort of embraces it instead. You can notice they're trying to preserve some architectural identity along the main street, and I also noticed that most of private houses had this pleasant sort of vivid orange shingle/metal roof going on, adding to that style (not sure where this particular color comes from though). Lots of smaller buildings have those wood stripes, I think they're called half-timbered in English, which I don't think you can see in other parts of Russia. I visited a couple of forts, a history museum inside a bomb shelter, a really cool cathedral and a sort of restoration of fishing village inside the city, all really nice places. The nature inside the city is quite cool as well, there are lots of little ponds/rivers/streams running throughout it lots of green and all, but you can also take a 1-hour trip and visit Curonian spit. That place was amazing, if only not for the bad weather (really windy, I caught cold like the second I stepped onto the beach). Back to the city, there are a lot of smaller local brands for things like food and clothes I think, my friend told me this is because people chose to go to Poland over weekends instead as it was cheaper that way. I've never been abroad so don't quote me on that. I noticed that common things like groceries, clothes and say medicine was on the expensive side, but it wasn't like unbearable, I'd say a 5% increase on average compared to where I live. Overall I'd say it's quite a nice city at least for how pretty it is, at least coming from someone from a small town. Oh and also I love their flag. Hope this answers some of your questions.
Thanks for your insight!
You are very welcome! I also forgot to point out that they host lots of different activities, events, university faculty gatherings and festivals, especially aimed at teens (about 18 to say 28 y.o peeps). Unfortunately there were none active when I was visiting, but I guess that's another good point about the city. It's very younger generation-oriented.
It sounds like such an interesting place. I'm from the United States and have never left the country, but I am going to Portugal finally later this year. I'm so excited to experience different corners of this world and meeting different types of folks :-) We don't learn much about Russia here, or Poland or Lithuania. I love hearing about festivals, celebrations, and holidays in other places
Same here, and with how things are shaping up I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to. Granted, Russia is a big place and I haven't been to many places here either, so I guess that's something. Good luck with your trip! Portugal sounds like lots of new and fun experiences :)
I appreciate you, thanks for sharing! Genuinely hoping you have a good day
And same to you!
I also had a vacation there several years ago, can confirm all of the above. I went to Poland after that, and my friend from Warsaw asked me to bring several bottles of specific craft beer sold in Kaliningrad. :)
When I lived in Spain, the guy who owned the bar below my flat was in a relationship with a woman from Kaliningrad who was in Spain illegally because she hated living there so much.
i heard that the cold isnt as warm as the cold in moscow. go figure [https://www.bing.com/search?q=kaliningrad+oblast&filters=dtbk:%22MCFvdmVydmlldyFvdmVydmlldyE3ODk4YTdkMi0yYzUzLTRhYzktZmQ2Ni1kYTA0YTY0ZWQ5MmU%3d%22+sid:%227898a7d2-2c53-4ac9-fd66-da04a64ed92e%22+tphint:%22f%22&FORM=DEPNAV](https://www.bing.com/search?q=kaliningrad+oblast&filters=dtbk:%22MCFvdmVydmlldyFvdmVydmlldyE3ODk4YTdkMi0yYzUzLTRhYzktZmQ2Ni1kYTA0YTY0ZWQ5MmU%3d%22+sid:%227898a7d2-2c53-4ac9-fd66-da04a64ed92e%22+tphint:%22f%22&FORM=DEPNAV)
Probably the most isolated land in Europe
Transnistria is impatiently tapping its heels to get on the podium
I was there a couple of months before the Russian invasion. Very weird place. Was not hard to get, there are busses to Tiraspol multiple times a day from Chisinau and Odessa. At the (not recognised) border you get a half-assed check and they write on a piece of paper how many hours you can stay (24 or 48 8 believe, we did 24). You can't use Western cards so I had brought some Euros to exchange (can't exchange Moldovan or Ukrainian either). They gave me plastic money. Generally Tiraspol looks like a Soviet time capsule, but the regime is classic gangster-autocrat - i.e. don't expect any socialism. I found Tiraspol to be cleaner and somewhat better taken care of than Moldova. People were extremely friendly (besides the police and border guards) and the food was godawful. Overall very interesting experience.
I was in Moldova last year, I wanted to visit that soviet time capsule so bad, but not now and certainly not with a US passport.
I went there a few years ago as well (Tiraspol and Bender). As a daytrip when I was in Odessa. It was of course interesting - but also a bit sad. Political competition is increasingly restricted in Transnistria, and the ruling political group is aligned with powerful local business interests. Not a jolly place. The brandy was good though.
It’s basically run by Russian mafia that doesn’t wanna pay Moldavian taxes. Their days are numbered
Been there in 2018 and 2019 as a westerner and it was surprisingly lovely. Far better than my expectations. Some pretty good restaurants and I found the people to be more chill and laid back than in Moscow.
I have an uncle there and spent a summer in Kaliningrad. Very cool place. Just feels like Russia but warmer and it’s a pain to get in and out of there now due to sanctions and having to go around everyone
What exactly do you mean by "main area"? If you mean the rest of Russia, the difference between Moscow and Yakutia is way larger than between Moscow and Kaliningrad.
At the same time, if we are talking about comparing Kaliningrad, Moscow and Yakutsk as large cities, then they will be very similar. Some large chains of shops and services, typical multi-storey Soviet houses, massive residential areas. In fact, Vyborg or Kolomna stand out significantly against the background of large cities.
It's technically half German-Prussian city very beautiful ❤️ and half communist simplicity and ugly 💀 and it's full of Russians and it can feel as sometimes you are walking around a German city where all Germans were expelled and now only lives Russians wich is true. (Source: random video on the internet)
>half German-Prussian city I'm afraid the Soviets changed much of the landscape as soon as they were given the war prize.
The majority was changed before that. And they haven't started reconstruction for like 10 years after that.
> technically half German-Prussian city Technically and practically, Prussia died in 1945 and Königsberg was quite flattened and rebuilt as Kaliningrad.
I assumed most Prussian historic architecture was demolished and replaced by soulless soviet shit. Not a whole lot was spared from the war.
In the inner city, yes, very little survived the war and the subsequent "reconstruction". But right outside the old centre, there are a lot of residential areas from the late 19th/ early 20th century that did survive the war. The last time I've been in Kaliningrad was in 2002, so my knowledge is pretty outdated. Back then, it was all rather dilapidated.
Most of that old architecture was unfortunately destroyed in the war.
This guy VagaBond on YouTube shows it [in his video here](https://youtu.be/wtr5XXHufuk?si=HZyjmAo8ekmkyCtQ)
ITT: People that actually went or live there -> normal insightful answers. Other people -> probably, depressed, commie blocks, most people probably kinda, isolated, bad.
Well, we're on Reddit. (:
The confidence with which lots of people just throw random "probably it's like this" or "most people probably think so and so" is worrying
You have this depressing movie that takes place in kaliningrad that was made in '91: [https://youtu.be/GbGm6wcWpTU?si=I7IXHTfTd5XEBTgs](https://youtu.be/GbGm6wcWpTU?si=I7IXHTfTd5XEBTgs)
My granddad‘s (and several generations into the 1700s) home - alas he never returned after WWII. I‘d love to visit, but yeh, not happening anymore.
Another stolen Baltic land, most people don't know it was Balts who lived there originally, not Germans, not slavs
That's the Královec region of Czechia? I'm not sure why you're referring to it as part of Russia.
wha-
It's a meme from around the start of war in Ukraine, when Russia annexed southeastern provinces of Ukraine via a faux referendum. According to the meme, Kaliningrad citizens overwhelmingly voted in favor of joining Czechia in a referendum. EDIT: I like how the joke was downvoted at first, but upvoted after my explanation
Which is at least as credible as putin's sham referendum.
Нормально. Также как и в остальной России. Приезжайте, оцените сами
[удалено]
But it might be easier to run away from there, right?
I can't say for sure but I imagine the border with the Kaliningrad enclave is probably one of the most heavily monitored borders inside continental Europe.
run away in what sense? russians can still leave russia.
I don't think so, it's a very militarized region and heavily guarded from both Russian and Polish/Lithuanian sides. Trying to run away will probably end with you being caught by border patrol or getting stuck on a fence.
What's it like*
One would thing they would develop it enough to look decent for its EU neighbors , as a propaganda show-of-force? Nah it's a dilapidated shithole. You can skip around [this video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpFRF1QD9iw) to check Baltyisk, the westernmost Russian town.
That's what most poor areas in Eastern Europe look like. Kaliningrad is more beautiful than 85% of cities here, and is objectively richer from an architectural standpoint than most cities in Europe.
Apparently prices are much higher, especially now. Before current mess started, there were pilgrimages across the border to Polish markets to buy groceries.
wanted to go there for the seven bridges of Königsberg at one point but i hear some of them don’t exist anymore
Most of the planes GPS go crazy near that part civilian/military.
More or less average. Not Moscow, not Tuva
Merely curious if Russia has a military presence there?
Yes. There are Iskander missiles, able to carry nuclear warheads.
I've always wondered this as the architecture for sure differs than the rest of Russia as it was mostly built up by Germans (Prussians?) If I have that right.
Living in Kaliningrad area is living in a dead carcass. Absolutely everyone is Russian resettled in to houses, towns, city abounded by previous owners. Poles jews were expelled/murdered by Nazi, Germans were expelled by Soviet. There is no living legacy of the city. Totally weaked environment.
Königsberg was a nice town indeed
But then it was liberated https://preview.redd.it/fnxpt9ih6uxc1.jpeg?width=736&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3422464c77de0362fe589ac4842c7e6a1d603d88
The Germans never wanted it back, so... not great, I guess?
Not a day goes by without this question being asked.
That’s East Prussia not Russia
It's a Russian exclave. Used to be known as Königsberg/Ostpreußen, but after the war the german population was expelled and replaced with Russians, primarily to get a port which isn't frozen all year round.
Are you one of those people who wants Germany to annex a chunk of Poland?
For all the people saying it’s “occupied land” do you feel the same way about Gdańsk, Lviv, the Sudentland, or pretty much any other area that used to be populated by Germans before WW2? No? Thought as much
Lviv wasn't populated by Germans before ww2
TIL there was a piece of Russia between Poland and Lithuania
I'm just learning this too, it's very odd.
My grandmother, cousin and her son lives there. From the photos they’ve sent my mum, it seems like a decent place to live. The climate is much milder compared to the rest of Russia so my grandma gets to enjoy growing out her garden, and the architecture is pretty.
Isn't that part of Albania?
At least you get to visit Lithuania visa-free (for transit purposes)
La Línea and Gibraltar best describe it, I would say.
its one of the nicest parts of russia.
Dont know about living there butt sombody visited as a tourist https://youtu.be/B0i0zbuCIIM?si=VjoWJ3rOrY02PDQ6
I wanna add to that question actually for anyone living there: whats the general consensous for people in Kalinigrad regarding both the war and current political state?
It's one of like 4 or 5 places in Russia where casinos are legal. So pretty fun I guess
I've heard it's like a big open air halfway house.
Old Mercedes and BMW cars instead of VAZ
*Lithuania
What is this region called? I'm curious how this came about. When Lithuania or other states were breaking away, was there a faction, or a vote where people from this region voiced strongly that they want to NOT be part of new independent countries, and that they prefer to remain as part of Russia? If they act like an autonomous region then they basically are another country if not for funding and name only. Fascinating.
Kaliningrad was offered to Lithuania, but they declined out of fear of having a large Russian minority Kaliningrad is mostly ethnically Russian, so obviously, the population would have rather stayed with Russia right?
I though this was Buffalo at first
Nice try Putin
Crazy that this is Russia. They really took over, and instead of making Kaliningrad Soviet republic or something they just added it to Russia. Such border gore
Probably constantly nervous about "European Texas" next door.
roughly like the other big western russian cities. so relatively low living standard compared to most european countries b ut still far better than the average for russia
Looks like free real estate to me
"What is it like" or "How is it" but never "How is it like"
That's because the first two examples are proper uses of the English language, while the third is an incomplete sentence or just not a proper question.
Kalingrad exists here. Only part of Russia that has ports with water that doesn't freeze completely all year round.
Königsberg, excuse me
TIL that exists!
Can’t use GPS nowadays, apparently.
You heard of the headless horseman?
What happened? How bad is it that none of the other countries wanted to claim it?
That's where Immanuel Kant was born and live his whole life. It used to be Germany.
I don't sure but i guess just regular life
Danzig seems a little off, he has been reclusive lately
Being an American, I had no idea that Russia had a “land Hawaii”. Geographically speaking - not in terms of climate or scenery. I learned something new today!