Kalinyingrád

Kalinyingrád, known in Russian as Kaliningrad, is the capital and largest city of Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian federal subject that forms an exclave on the Baltic Sea between Lithuania and Poland. The city lies on the Pregolya River near the coast and serves as the region’s administrative, economic, and cultural center.

Founded in 1255 as Königsberg, it was the capital of East Prussia and a major German cultural and educational center, home to the University of Königsberg and to philosophers such as Immanuel Kant. During World War II, the city suffered extensive damage. In 1945 it was captured by Soviet forces; the German population was largely expelled, and the city was subsequently repopulated with Soviet citizens. In 1946 the city was renamed Kaliningrad, and the surrounding area was designated Kaliningrad Oblast as part of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, later the Russian Federation. The name Kaliningrad honors the Soviet official Mikhail Kalinin.

Kaliningrad Oblast is an exclave bordered by Lithuania to the north and east and by Poland to the south, with a Baltic Sea coastline to the west. Kaliningrad remains a port and a center for industry, including shipbuilding, amber processing, and light manufacturing. The region’s economy relies on cross-border trade and transit links with the Baltic states and the rest of Russia.

Notable landmarks in Kaliningrad include remnants of Königsberg’s architectural legacy, Kant-related sites, and museums such as the Kaliningrad Regional History Museum. The city is also marketed for its amber—often called the “Amber City”—and serves as a regional cultural and educational hub. In contemporary Russia, Kaliningrad plays a strategic role as its westernmost territory, with cultural exchanges and tourism focused on its historical heritage and Baltic location.