Filming in Kaliningrad on Baltic Sea of Russia

The land of amber full of medieval castles and the birthplace of Immanuel Kant, Kaliningrad Region is the Russian exclave in Europe.

Geography and Climate

Kaliningrad is the westernmost Russian region. It’s completely surrounded by Poland and Lithuania, so you need to cross through the European Union to get from Russia to Russia.

It has a total area of 15,125 km² (9,398 square miles).

Kaliningrad has a moderate and humid climate, as it’s located close to the Baltic Sea. Average temperature is -1.5˚C (29.3˚F) in January and 22.7˚C (72.86˚F) in July.

Nature

Kaliningrad region has the biggest amber deposits in the world, accounting for 90% of the world's total production. Total seashore length is 140 km, 100 of which is covered with sand beaches.

History and Сulture

The Teutonic knights founded a castle at the present-day Kaliningrad area in 1225. Three different cities started to grow around it. They coexisted for 400 years until they merged into a single city named Koenigsberg in 1724.

During World War II, British and Soviet air forces nearly destroyed the city. Red Army captured it in 1945.

The region became part of the Soviet Union, and Koenigsberg became Kaliningrad in 1946.

After WWII, Kaliningrad had to be rebuilt from scratch. It became one of the most militarized Soviet regions.

Cities

Kaliningrad is the capital with 460,000 people living in it.

The second biggest city is Sovietsk with 45,000 population.

How To Get There

Kaliningrad is located 1,259 km (782 miles) west of Moscow, it takes 1.5 hours to get there by plane. Flights to Warsaw, Kiev, Copenhagen, Minsk and Moscow are available from Khrabrovo Airport, located just 24 km away from Kaliningrad.

Population

The total population is 975,000. Russians are the majority with 82%.

Until WWII, Kaliningrad was mainly populated by Germans, Poles and Lithuanians. Now there are almost none left, as many of them got deported in 1947—1949.

Interesting Facts:

• The cornerstone of German classic philosophy Immanuel Kant spent most of his life in Kaliningrad (then Koenigsberg);
• One of the claimants for the title of the 7-billionth Earth resident was born in Kaliningrad in 2011;
• The University of Koenigsberg, currently the Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University, is the oldest university on the Russian territory;
• In 1946, Koenigsberg was renamed to Kaliningrad after Mikhail Kalinin, the nominal head of the Soviet Union. He has never been to the city;
• Kaliningrad has the oldest tram lines in Russia;
• The Curonian Spit is curved sand-dune spit that separates the Curonian Lagoon from the Baltic Sea coast. It is 98 km-long and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, shared by Russia and Lithuania;
• There is a place called the Dancing Forest on the Curonian Spit, where trees bend in a strange way. Scientists still can’t come to an agreement why does it happen;
• Kaliningrad is going to be one of the host cities for FIFA 2018.

Amber quarries

Baltic Sea beach in the fall

Bagrationovsk
Castle of Preysish-Eylay

Baltiysk
Former infantry barracks

Baltiysk

Pionersky resort
Sand beach

Balga Castle brick wall

Lutheran church in Chernyakhovsk

Chernyakhovsk

Kaliningrad
Church

Castle Eylau in Bagrationovsk

Castle Eylau in Bagrationovsk

Gvardeysk
St. John's temple

Baltic sea in the winter

Zelenogradsk embankment

Kaliningrad
Historical reenactment of a WWI batle

Kaliningrad

Kaliningrad
Drama theater

Kaliningrad
Former Koenigsberg exchange building

Uschakovo
Kirche Heiligenwalde

Krasnoznamensk
Lutheran church

Mamonovo
Childen's school of art

Gvardeysk (formerly Tapiau)
Old German buildings

Gvardeysk
Old German buildings

Gvardeysk
Old German buildings

Ozyorsk
Hotel at Victory Square

Ozyorsk
Hydropower station

Polessk

Primorsk
Water tower in the fall

Curonian Split
Protective structures against the movement of the dunes

Ruins of Insterburg Castle in Chernyakhovsk

Marine village at the Curonian Split

Promenade in Zelenogradsk

Baltic Sea

Sovietsk

Sovietsk
Monument to a tram

Ruins of Bismarck tower

Gate of Castle Gerdauen in the Zheleznodorozhny village

Baltic Sea shore
Svetlogorsk

Yantarny settlement

Zelenogradsk

Amber quarries

Baltic Sea beach in the fall

Bagrationovsk
Castle of Preysish-Eylay

Baltiysk
Former infantry barracks

Baltiysk

Pionersky resort
Sand beach

Balga Castle brick wall

Lutheran church in Chernyakhovsk

Chernyakhovsk

Kaliningrad
Church

Castle Eylau in Bagrationovsk

Castle Eylau in Bagrationovsk

Gvardeysk
St. John's temple

Baltic sea in the winter

Zelenogradsk embankment

Kaliningrad
Historical reenactment of a WWI batle

Kaliningrad

Kaliningrad
Drama theater

Kaliningrad
Former Koenigsberg exchange building

Uschakovo
Kirche Heiligenwalde

Krasnoznamensk
Lutheran church

Mamonovo
Childen's school of art

Gvardeysk (formerly Tapiau)
Old German buildings

Gvardeysk
Old German buildings

Gvardeysk
Old German buildings

Ozyorsk
Hotel at Victory Square

Ozyorsk
Hydropower station

Polessk

Primorsk
Water tower in the fall

Curonian Split
Protective structures against the movement of the dunes

Ruins of Insterburg Castle in Chernyakhovsk

Marine village at the Curonian Split

Promenade in Zelenogradsk

Baltic Sea

Sovietsk

Sovietsk
Monument to a tram

Ruins of Bismarck tower

Gate of Castle Gerdauen in the Zheleznodorozhny village

Baltic Sea shore
Svetlogorsk

Yantarny settlement

Zelenogradsk