Russia has its own island right in the center of Europe, comparable, however, in terms of area with another full-fledged state of the continent. We are talking, of course, about the Kaliningrad region, in particular, the capital of this subject of the Russian Federation. Kaliningrad is a city very popular among tourists from other regions of Russia and countries. Many travelers prefer to build their itinerary of their trip around the city, having previously studied the features of its administrative structure, what districts it consists of, and what features they are characterized by.
Kaliningrad can also be studied in terms of the principles of local self-government in it, the characteristics of city districts in terms of the presence of attractions or, for example, the development of transport infrastructure. What are the administrative divisions of Kaliningrad? How can citizens of other regions of the Russian Federation get to the Russian B altic?
General information about the city
Kaliningrad is a unique city. It is Russian, but historically closely connected with Europe. Until 1945, Kaliningrad was called Koenigsberg and belonged to Germany. After that, together with the nearby lands of EasternPrussia, the city was transferred to the Soviet Union, and later renamed. The European past and the Russian present predetermine the fact that the districts of Kaliningrad, its architecture are characterized by the presence of a variety of objects - Soviet, built in the Russian Federation and, of course, classical ones that have retained or adopted their appearance from the German past.
Kaliningrad is not a very big city compared to the largest Russian and European cities, but there are a lot of sights in it. These are architectural monuments, cultural objects, a zoo. Among the most notable sights is the Botanical Garden. Not only German culture can be traced in the city, but also that which was formed under the influence of other nations - Lithuanians, Latvians, Poles. Actually, those states that are formed by these ethnic groups. This does not include Latvia, but it is also close to and borders the Kaliningrad region. In this case, an active cultural exchange in the region is a completely natural process.
Kaliningrad: top attractions
What sights do tourists visiting the Russian B altic visit most often? It is rather difficult to answer this question unambiguously. The fact is that travelers may like completely different areas of Kaliningrad. Some tourists prefer to visit historical sites, others prefer modern buildings.
So, many travelers like to just walk, for example, along the banks of the Pregol. If you walk along the bridge that connects them, you can get to the wonderful Fish Village. Its traditional appearance has been reconstructed by modern craftsmen.
Certainly, the Amber Museum is one of the most popular places in the city. At the same time, it is actually part of another famous object - the Don Tower. Among the most famous enterprises of the city is the Kaliningrad Amber Combine. Visiting a variety of areas, the traveler will be able to meet places where this mineral is sold, as well as various jewelry made from it.
Another famous fortification is the Wrangel Tower. It was built in the 19th century. The Botanical Garden, which we mentioned above, has been open to tourists since 1904. The city zoo of Kaliningrad has been operating since 1896. A wooden hunting castle was also built in the city at the end of the 19th century. Visiting various districts of Kaliningrad, you can see quite a lot of historical objects.
If we talk about the remarkable modern buildings of the city, it is worth paying attention to the largest shopping centers, such as "Europe", "Plaza", as well as, for example, "Epicenter". All of them are located in the city center.
Geography
Now let's study, in fact, what areas in Kaliningrad are today, how the administrative division of this settlement is carried out.
There are 3 districts in the city: Leningradsky, Moskovsky, and also Central. At the same time, it is not customary to subdivide them conditionally into less and more prestigious ones. Note that not all tourists know Kaliningrad well. "Leninsky district" is among the inadvertently invented by themnames of Leningrad, you should keep this in mind. One way or another, all administrative territories form a unique cultural and architectural space and make the city unique.
Leningradsky district of the city of Kaliningrad, Moskovsky and Central are equally developed. At the same time, the most active construction is going on just on the outskirts of the city. Although, in principle, this trend characterizes most modern Russian cities, since in their central parts everything is built up.
A large number of buses and minibuses run between different districts of Kaliningrad. True, when planning a move with their help, one should take into account possible delays on the way due to traffic jams. Their appearance in the city is inevitable, since Kaliningrad is among the leaders among Russian cities in terms of motorization, and the width of the streets is not always enough to ensure dynamic car traffic.
Let's now consider what the Central, Moskovsky, and Leningradsky districts are separately. Kaliningrad, as we noted above, is a highly developed city, regardless of the specific area, but each of them is characterized by a number of features.
Leningradsky district of Kaliningrad: what are its features?
This area is located in the northeast of the city. The main transport arteries that are available here are Moskovsky and Sovetsky avenues. In the Leningrad region there are also Gorky, Nevsky, Chernyakhovsky, Gagarin streets. Here is locatedSelma area. Kaliningrad, as we already know, consists of 3 official districts, but microdistricts are also distinguished within them. Among them is Selma.
Another notable feature of the geography of the Leningradsky district of the city is that it contains settlements. Among them - October. The area (Kaliningrad, as we know, previously belonged to Germany) is characterized by the fact that traditional German mansions have been preserved here. They are located on Telman Street, not far from Lake Superior, as well as Yunost Park. But you can buy modern real estate in this area. It can be both apartment buildings and townhouses. New real estate, which is located in the Leningradsky district, is characterized by a wide variety of design and layouts of apartments.
Among the most actively built-up microdistricts within the Leningradsky district, one can note those located along Artilleriyskaya and Gagarin streets. To a certain extent, the popularity of these territories is due to the fact that they are among the most accessible in terms of transport in the city. Many types of transport pass through the Leningrad region. Kaliningrad is a city of sights, and many of them are located in this place.
So, a traveler who arrived in the Leningrad region can visit the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the Amber Museum. There are also modern shopping centers - "Clover", "Passage".
Moskovsky district
Moskovsky district of Kaliningrad alsovery actively developed. The main streets here are: International, Gromov, Koshevoy. Modern schools and shops have been built in the area. The main problem here is the same traffic jams. They are especially noticeable due to the fact that the exit from the district to the center is carried out through the railway bridge, which is very narrow in itself and, moreover, cannot provide high throughput in heavy traffic due to the location of tram tracks on it. The central part of the city from the Moskovsky district can be reached by tram or trolleybus. The network of minibuses is quite developed. Although the whole of Kaliningrad is characterized by an advanced transport infrastructure in general.
Moskovsky district of the city also has many attractions. The most recognizable is the Cathedral, which is located on the island of Kant. The temple is one of the symbols of Kaliningrad. There are a large number of architectural monuments in the area. It is in the Moscow region that the Fish Village is developing, which in architecture corresponds to the style of the former Koenigsberg.
Central District
The largest in terms of area of the three administrative territories into which Kaliningrad is divided is the Central District. Its peculiarity lies in the presence of a large number of industrial enterprises. Among the largest - "Quartz", "B alterm". The Fish Cannery and the Yantarny Skaz printing house are also located here.
In the Central area of the city you can see a large number of buildings built in Germany. For example, there is a building that housesaudience of the Faculty of History of the Kant University (formerly the Kraus and Gippel School). The building, which previously housed the police department, now houses the FSB structures. The city's business center is housed in a building that was previously the North Station. In the Central District of the city you can visit the Drama Theater and the Zoo.
It is worth noting that the districts of Kaliningrad in their modern form exist relatively recently - since 2009. The fact is that earlier the city was divided not into 3, but into 5 administrative units. Among those that existed earlier was the B altic region. Kaliningrad is a city that became part of the USSR in 1945, and this district was formed already in 1947.
In 2009, by a separate decision of the Council of Deputies of Kaliningrad, it was decided to merge it with Moscow. Another district of the city, which previously existed under the name Oktyabrsky, was also formed in 1947. Almost simultaneously with the B altic, it was merged with the Central. At the same time, another municipality bordered on B altiysky before it underwent the noted changes in its administrative division of Kaliningrad - the Guryevsky district. True, it does not refer to the city, but to the region, the capital of which is.
It can also be noted that the Oktyabrsky district was called Stalin until 1961. The central one, which is noteworthy, was formed later than other districts of the city - in 1952, and it included part of Stalin's. The rest of the Oktyabrsky (formerly Stalin) also became part ofCentral in 2009.
City infrastructure
So, we have studied how Kaliningrad districts of the city were administratively divided. Let us now consider other noteworthy information about it, for example, those that reflect the specifics of its infrastructure.
It can be noted that the network of urban roads is developing at an impressive pace in relation to the dynamics of building up new areas. Significant sections of highways, those that were laid in Germany, have a pebble surface, which requires the city authorities to take a special approach to maintaining their functionality.
As we noted above, public transport is highly developed in Kaliningrad. In terms of traffic intensity, the city is at the level of the largest Russian megacities. The efficient operation of Kaliningrad's transport network can be complicated by traffic jams. They become especially large, as in most other modern cities, in the morning and in the evening. Regarding the types of public transport that serves various areas of Kaliningrad, it is represented in almost all modern ground varieties, namely: buses, trolleybuses, trams, minibuses. Gradually, the transport network of the city is also supplemented by rail buses.
Educational institutions
It will also be useful to study what educational institutions are located in the wonderful city of Kaliningrad. The main university of the metropolis is Immanuel Kant University. The Technical University trains specialists of various profiles, for example, those who are competent in the field of fisheries. Among other well-knowneducational institutions of Kaliningrad can be distinguished by the Ushakov Institute, the University of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, as well as the B altic State Academy. Graduates of city universities are in demand both in their region and beyond. Many Kaliningraders try their hand at Europe due to their geographical proximity to many developed countries.
City economy
Kaliningrad is a significant industrial and port center. Among the largest enterprises of the city is the Yantar plant, as well as the Carriage Building Plant. The first enterprise specializes in both military and civilian orders. The second produces a wide range of engineering products that are in demand in the field of rail transportation. Both enterprises have huge infrastructure and technological capabilities that allow them to implement the most complex projects in the areas in which the plants operate.
Another large industrial enterprise of the city is Lukoil-Kaliningradneft. It produces oil and also produces various types of industrial products, such as drilling rigs, containers, steel structures.
Perhaps one of the city's most famous enterprises is the Amber Combine. True, it is located not on the territory of Kaliningrad itself, but in the regional village of Yantarny. It can be noted that this settlement is connected with the capital of the region by a good road, so the distance between it and Kaliningrad, which is about 41 km, is overcome quite quickly. The plant carries out industrial extraction of amber, its processing, produces various jewelry.
Above, we noted that almost any administrative unit into which Kaliningrad is divided (Moskovsky district, Leningradsky, Central) hosts large shopping centers, as well as stores operating in a network format. All of them also play an important role in the economy of Kaliningrad. The largest trading networks of the city are "Vester", "Victoria", and also "Europe". Trade is also actively conducted in the markets of Kaliningrad - Central, B altic, Moscow, South, and Zakharovsky.
How to get to Kaliningrad?
So, we have studied the main areas of Kaliningrad. How can you get to this wonderful city?
The main feature of this settlement, as well as the region of which it is the capital, is that the corresponding region is an exclave of the Russian Federation. That is, it is located surrounded by other countries, namely, it borders on Lithuania and Poland.
The easiest way to get to Kaliningrad for a resident of another region of Russia is to fly by plane. Firstly, the duration of the flight from Moscow takes only about 2 hours, from St. Petersburg - even less. Secondly, to visit Kaliningrad by plane, a citizen of the Russian Federation does not need to issue a passport.
In turn, to come to the Russian B altic by bus, train or car, you will need a passport. Moreover, it will have to contain a visa for Lithuania, Poland or another Schengen state. In turn, if going to Kaliningrada citizen of Lithuania or Poland, he will need a Russian visa. It is noteworthy that residents of the Kaliningrad region can issue passports for free, that is, without transferring state fees to the budget. Also, residents of the Russian B altic region have the opportunity to visit border settlements in Poland without a visa.
It is also worth noting that citizens of the Russian Federation have the right to apply for a simplified transit visa through Lithuania. You can get it by contacting the structures at the Russian Railways. A Lithuanian transit visa is issued within 24 hours from the date of submission of documents and is handed to the passenger directly on the train entering the territory of Lithuania. Next, we will consider the features of its use.
The corresponding visa is a kind of transit document issued by the Lithuanian authorities, which can be obtained by citizens of the Russian Federation who have a residence permit in the Kaliningrad region. What is its specificity?
This permit document can be of 2 varieties - the usual simplified one, as well as the railway one. The first one allows a citizen of the Russian Federation to enter Lithuania by any type of transport, use any roads, get out of his car if he is driving it. But a person must have time to cross the territory of Lithuania and enter Russia or Belarus within 24 hours. In order to obtain the document in question, you need to contact the consulate of Lithuania. Its validity period is up to 3 years. When issuing a transit document, a consular fee is paid.
The second document is a transit visa, ohwhich we said above. It allows a citizen of the Russian Federation to cross the territory of Lithuania only by train. At the same time, the document does not allow a person to leave the car during the period of being within the borders of this state. Its validity period is up to 3 months (with the expectation of a return trip of a citizen of the Russian Federation within this period). An appropriate document is ordered at the railway ticket office. It is issued free of charge.
How can I get to one or another administrative unit into which the city of Kaliningrad is divided (Leningradsky district, Moskovsky or Central), in case of arrival in the city by means of certain means of transport? If a traveler arrives in Kaliningrad by plane, then you will need to get to the city from Khrabrovo Airport. It is located 24 km from the capital of the region. Buses and minibuses run between it and Kaliningrad. As a rule, their movement starts from the bus station, which is located in the Moscow region. Nearby is the South railway station of the city. It receives the bulk of trains from Russia. In turn, the North Station receives commuter trains. In order to move between different infrastructure objects in Kaliningrad, you can also use public transport or a taxi.
