russian The starting place to learn the Russian language on the Internet.

Welcome to Kaliningrad

The Kaliningrad Region is a part of the Russian Federation located on the coast of the Baltic Sea. It borders with Poland in the south and the west and Lithuania - in the north and the east. Kaliningrad is a Russian exclave. It's Russia's western-most region fully detached from the main land by the territories of the foreign states and the sea.

This unique geographical position of the Kaliningrad region impacts all sides of life in Kaliningrad: economy, culture, work and leisure, life style and future plans. At the same time, Kaliningrad is a part of Russia and Kaliningrad citizens represent Russian population with Russian origin.

Kaliningrad is a quiet and rather secure Russian city. Much owing to the vicinity of the European states as well as intensive contacts with the surrounding countries, Kaliningrad has grown into a territory of friendliness and tolerance to newcomers and migrants. The population of the Kaliningrad Region has been historically formed as a result of a massive migration of people from all over the Soviet Union. Educational level of the population is rather high. People speak standard Russian language without any specific local accent.

Life in Kaliningrad is considerably cheaper than in Moscow or in St.-Petersburg. This means that you would spend less money on your stay in Kaliningrad. However, this will not affect the quality of the service we offer, nor will it tell on the overall impression and the positive experience you get after taking a Russian course in Kaliningrad.

City of Kaliningrad

Kaliningrad is a picturesque city divided by the Pregel (Pregolya) River. It has a number of lakes and ponds. One of the most attractive features of Kaliningrad is its vast greenery: parks, forests, and trees in the streets.

Founded in XIII century as Koenigsberg, the city had been a capital of German East Prussia until the Potsdam Conference in 1945, when one third of East Prussia including the city was annexed by the Soviet Union. The original local residents were deported to Germany and newcomers from all over the Soviet Union - mostly from central Russia - settled in the region.

The city was renamed after M.I. Kalinin, who had an informal title of the all-Union's 'master' under Stalin. In the 1960s-70s the city was largely rebuilt in a Soviet style, so nowadays one can see a combination of the Soviet 'khrushevki' and 'brezhnevki' ('match-box' houses popular during the times of Khruschev and Brezhnev) and German mansions.

The city's architecture is a vivid witness of the city's history. People's attitude towards the past of the region has changed radically in the last two decades. Most of the Kaliningrad citizens are now proud of the city's past and take care to preserve and restore the remains of the historical heritage. Koenigsberg-Kaliningrad celebrates its 750th anniversary in 2005.

Kaliningrad museums and theaters

You can visit the Regional History and Art Museum, situated in a beautiful building right by the pond called Nizhny Prud. The museum has several affiliates, the most important of them are the 'Blindage' and the 'Fifth Fortress'. The Museum of Amber has the world's most unique collection of amber and jewelries. You should definitely visit this museum. The Art Gallery with its eight exhibition halls is worth seeing too.

You might want to visit the Museum of World's Ocean, the only museum of this type in Russia. You will step on the legendary research ship 'Vityaz', which is moored idle and is now a museum piece. Onboard the "Vityaz" there's a splendid collection of the material and photographs of the underwater world, including various gizmos and devices, replicas and originals.

The Botanical Garden is open to public all year round and cherishes a collection of more than 3 thousand outdoor plant species and about a thousand indoor plants grown in nurseries. The Kaliningrad Zoo, which is more than a hundred years old, houses 400 animal species and 150 types of rare plants.

The Kaliningrad Drama Theatre was opened back in 1947. There are a number of other theatres in the city. Among of them is a well-known 'Tilzit-teatr' located in Sovietsk, who gained recognition in Russia and Europe. Upon your request, we can arrange a visit to it to see one of its wonderful performances. There are two concert organ-halls, one in Kaliningrad and another in Svetlogorsk. So, learning Russian with "Privet!" in Kaliningrad will bring you a lot of joy and fun!

Useful information on Kaliningrad

Telecommunication and Internet

You can use services of many Internet Cafes around the city. One hour usually costs from 20 to 40 rubles (1€=34 rubles).

You are entitled to make free local calls in your host family or rented apartment. For calling abroad we recommend that you should buy a long distance dialing card enabling you to call at considerably lower prices. An international phone card to the value of 100 rubles comes as part of a welcome pack you will receive upon your arrival in Kaliningrad.

Your GSM mobile phone will work in Russia. It is possible to subscribe to one of the local operators.

Electricity Standard

Electricity throughout Russia is 220 volt / 50 Hz. The wall outlet is configured for a two thin pin adaptor plug.

Eating-out in Kaliningrad

Even if you choose to stay in a host family with half-boarding, you will have to think about eating lunch somewhere. The prices are reasonable in the city. You will be well off with 2-5 euros for a meal (many restaurants serve decent business lunches at the cost of 70-100 rubles). For example, the Havana restaurant in Prospekt Mira just opposite the Baltika Stadium offers excellent business lunches at 97 rubles (less than three euros). The menu offers you a salad, soup, and the main course. A cup of good Cappuccino comes complementary.
You can buy food in a store (there are modern supermarkets at every corner) or at the farmers' market, which is fun to do to practice your Russian.

Kaliningrad web resources:

• www.gov.kaliningrad.ru - Official Web site of the Regional Administration (Russian, English);
• www.Kaliningrad.info - General Information on Kaliningrad (Russian, German);
• www.vinokurov.info - Research articles on Kaliningrad's economy and a theory of enclaves (English);

Advertising

Copyright 2001-2002 MasterRussian.com | Privacy Policy | Contact Us