Good afternoon!

For the last seven years, my husband and I have been fond of traveling, and every year, in addition to car trips (within 1000 km), we certainly make one, or even two, “distant” trips” to other regions or countries.

This year, the pandemic disrupted our plans: in November 2019, we bought tickets to Europe for October 2020. The company returned the money for the tickets to us, and we decided to go to Kaliningrad. They took their eldest grandson with them. The guy is already 11 years old, it’s time to educate a person.

I have long dreamed of visiting the extreme west of our country, and now I have the opportunity to make my dream come true.

First impression of Kaliningrad

When we left the Khrabrovo airport building, the first thing I felt was the smell of the sea. This is a wonderful, incomparable smell, I remember and love it since childhood: I grew up on the Caspian coast.

Impressive abundance of greenery. We also have a rich flora in the Altai Territory and a very beautiful autumn, but Kaliningrad stunned me with an abundance of various coniferous plants, chic weeping willows, incomparable maples …

In Kaliningrad, near the Upper Pond. Photo from the personal archive In Kaliningrad, near the Upper Pond. Photo from personal archive

Also, great roads.

The ugliness of the panel buildings built in the 60-90s hurt painfully. It seems that the architects in the Soviet years set out to completely erase the memory of the once magnificent Koenigsberg, which was almost completely bombed by the British in 1944. It seems that Soviet urban planners were guided by the principles: the more faceless, the uglier, the better.

Pay attention to the building on the right — an ugly 9-story «box». Agree, it spoils the whole picture! Photo from personal archive. Pay attention to the building on the right — an ugly 9-story «box». Agree, it spoils the whole picture! Photo from personal archive. «Boxes» on the embankment of the Pregolya River. Photo from personal archive. «Boxes» on the embankment of the Pregolya River. Photo from personal archive.

There are a lot of these ugly «boxes» in Kaliningrad, and they form a terrible dissonance with the surviving old German buildings and with modern buildings, which are being built in a style reminiscent of buildings of the 19th and early 20th centuries.

In the first two days of my stay in the city, for some reason, my eyes constantly clung to these “boxes”. They prevented me from seeing the beauty of the city. And even something similar to disappointment appeared … Fortunately, the excursion on the water bus changed everything. We came across a wonderful guide (he is also the captain of the ship), who told us about the city so vividly and with such love that we simply had no other option than to fall in love with Kaliningrad-Königsberg. For me it was love at second sight.

moment of truth

The first indistinct impression changed, thanks to the opportunity to look at the city from the water. It is easier to show than to write a lot of words.

Museum of Fine Arts, former stock exchange, beautiful building on larch piles. And on the right is a Soviet gray monster. Photo from personal archive. Museum of Fine Arts, former stock exchange, beautiful building on larch piles. And on the right is a Soviet gray monster. Photo from personal archive. Beyond the bridge in the distance is the famous Fish Village, a visiting card of Kaliningrad. A new building, of course. But very nice and atmospheric. Photo from personal archive. Beyond the bridge in the distance is the famous Fish Village, a visiting card of Kaliningrad. A new building, of course. But very nice and atmospheric. Photo from personal archive. Fishing village, photo from the river. Fishing village, photo from the river. View of the island of Kant, on the Cathedral immersed in greenery. Photo from personal archive. View of the island of Kant, on the Cathedral immersed in greenery. Photo from personal archive. The futuristic building on the right in the form of our planet is the new building of the Museum of the World Ocean. Not yet open. Photo from personal archive. The futuristic building on the right in the form of our planet is the new building of the Museum of the World Ocean. Not yet open. Photo from personal archive.

Fortunately, gray cuboid freaks are no longer being built in Kaliningrad today. New buildings either continue the traditions of Western architecture (I’m not strong in styles, but new houses no longer hurt the eyes), or are frankly modern, technological and form a surreal but attractive contrast with traditional buildings, such as, for example, the giant Flame Towers in my favorite Baku.

Urban architecture is important, but people are more important

My husband and I are quite sociable, and on trips we are always happy to talk with local residents, ask them about the city, about life…

Kaliningraders conquered us: very friendly, benevolent people who are in love with their city.

One elderly lady, whom we asked on the bus at which stop it would be better for us to get off, gave us a whole tour until we got to her stop. The woman was born in 1946, the city rose from ruins literally before her eyes. And when I hinted that gray Soviet houses disfigure the city, she quickly cut me off, saying that this is HER CITY, he grew up with her, his parents built it, and she likes EVERYTHING here. I didn’t dare to argue.

Here is another notable case. The husband took out a mask from his pocket before entering the store and imperceptibly dropped money, several bills. A young guy caught up with us, handed the money to my husband and said: “Here, take it, you just dropped it.” The husband checked his pocket — and, indeed, the money fell out … And the guy returned absolutely everything …

More about Kaliningraders. The owner of the apartment we rented found out that we were going to the Curonian Spit, to the sea. And in the evening he brought me a long warm jacket of his wife (we are almost the same build). He said that my jacket was too frivolous, there was nothing to do by the sea in such a jacket — I would freeze.

About driving

During our stay in the city we rented a car. I must say that we really liked the way cars are driven in Kaliningrad. No one is hysterical on the road, no one is rushing ahead. If someone is taxiing from a secondary road and he needs to wait — do not wait out the flow of cars along the main road, then the person will certainly be let through.

In general, Kaliningrad conquered me. I confess, I did not immediately see this city. But with each new day spent here, I fell more and more in love with him. And I would love to come here again.