1) Remain 2) Outskirts 3) Restoration 4) Survive 5) Refer | 1. be in some period 2. continue to exist 3. the other parts of a city 4. stay alive 5. returning to the former condition |
5. Art, Culture, Sport
ü In the city the following theatres are available: dramatic theatre, puppet theatre, the fashion theatre of Tamara Beletskaia, some private theatres, German theatre (the only in Russia), the “Art House” concert and theatre complex). Concerts of Russian and European organists and choir groups are held in the Organ hall of Kaliningrad Philharmonic Society.
ü New cinema and concert complexes equipped in the city.
ü The museums of Kaliningrad tell us the rich history of the region and its modern life. They are the Museum of the World Ocean, the History and Art Museum, the Art Gallery, numerous monuments connected with the war history.
ü Kaliningrad zoo is one of the best in Russia, its located in the picturesque park territory in the centre of the city.
ü The sport fans of Kaliningrad can be proud of the world known names in tennis, free-style wrestling, light athletics.
6. Modern city
We are standing in Victory Square with our back to the church and facing to the Council Hall. On your right is the Technical University, on your left is the shop “Piramida”. This is the main square of our town, it used to be named Hanzen Square, Hitler Plats, Three Marshals Square and now it’s name – Victory. All the names are connected with history of this town.
The Kaliningrad Technical State University is the oldest educational institution of Russia, it was transferred to Kaliningrad in 1958 and trains students not only from our country, but from Bulgaria, Hungary, Cuba, Poland, Vietnam. Students collaborate with Research Institute of Oceanology and have practice in navigation and commercial fishing on boards of the best vessels, such as “Academician Keldish” and “Academician Kurchatov”.
A 45 minute drive will take you to the famous climatic resorts Svetlogorsk and Zelenogradsk, you can catch the trains just from this square, from the North Railway Station, which is your right. The opposite building is a business center.
Kaliningrad is rich in libraries. The biggest is the Kaliningrad Regional Library.
It has about one million volumes, 33 reading halls are situated in the building. In front of the library you can see monument to the famous German poet of 18th century F. Schiller. He wasn`t a resident of Konigsberg, but his plays were staged in local Drama Theatre. The monument was created in 1910, designed by a famous sculptor S. Kauer. It is a highly visited place in our town. You can see the building of Drama Theatre, which looks like the Bolshoy Theatre in Moscow. This building was severely damaged in World War II, it was rebuilt in 1960. Our theatre is highly visited. Now its classical and contemporary repertoire enjoys unfailing success.
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Kaliningradians have all possibilities to go in for sports. There are a few stadiums in our town. This one, on your left, is the largest. Apart from being a palace for training and sports matches, stadium “Baltica” serves as outdoor grounds for traditional folklore festival. The stadium houses 235 seats. We have a number of sport facilities: the Palace of Sports, swimming pools, tennis courts, yacht clubs and many sport grounds.
Kaliningrad ZOO is a great attraction for citizens and guests of the town. For children there is also a Township with domestic and wild animals. There are about 380 species of animals, 34 of them are included in the Red Book. Seamen enriched the ZOO, having presented some rare animals. Kaliningrad ZOO used to be a place of fierce battle in 1945. It suffered greatly, most of the animals were exterminated, only 4 animals survived – hippopotamus, badger, donkey and fall-deer. The ZOO was opened in 1947 and has become the most popular place in Kaliningrad since that time.
It the beginnings of Leonov Street there is a monument to our cosmonauts-follow-towns: Alexey Leonov, Victor Patsaev, Yury Romanenko. They lived and studied on Kaliningrad land. They are honorary members, citizens of our town. Their parents still live here. The monument is designed by sculptor Boris Jedunov.
We are approaching the most beautiful residential district, this part of the town wasn't destroyed during the war, all the houses are well kept. German aristocracy used to live here. On your left, you can see the old Louisa church, after the war it was restored and now the Puppet Theatre is situated in it. The recreation park occupies the territory of 50 hectares, it has a unique collection of cask, aged of 150 – 200 years old.
Kaliningrad is famous of its decoration. Many unique plants grow in our streets. Kutuzov street is not big, it’s only 1 km long. Botanical garden as kaliningradians call it. 114 kinds of trees and shrubs are growing in this street. For example: bear nut tree. This tree is used by furniture makers, as it has a pink shade, the tree withstands against insects and decomposition. White acacia, black pine, Canadian fur tree, lurch Lombardy popular, oak, gingko or silver apricot were intro decided to Konigsberg from Japan, Scandinavia, North and South America. The flora of our region is unusual. There are evergreens such as rhogdendrons, different kinds of pine and also relict trees, like the tree box tree, they were introduced 150 years ago.
Kaliningrad is a big sea port; most of the population is engaged in fishing industry. There is fishing and commercial fleet base. The country receives from Kaliningrad fish and fish products, Apparatus devices far gas and machinery industries, paper of high quality, oil and goods, made of amber. Kaliningrad is a seaside town, but there is no access to the sea. The town is situated on the Pregolya river, which runs to the Kaliningrad Bay. The port is connected with a sea by the deep Baltic canal. Maritime connection leads to Poland, Germany, Sweden and France. The export items are cellulose, metallic constructions, gas installment. The sea port of Kaliningrad is a large centre of water communications in the west of Russia, a junction of different modes of transportation- shipping by sea And river, railway and road transport.
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Kaliningrad Region is connected with Russia mainly by railway. It’s a big railway junction. On the left you can see a citadel “Fredericksburg”, which was built in the middle of 17th century. In 1697 Peter the Great learned an artillery science under the supervision of fon Starnfeld. In 1758 Russian Army Commander Fermor was given a key from the Fridrichsburg Gate, which meant a capitulation of Konigsberg during the Seven Year War.
Here is the most beautiful building of our town it’s the Concert Hall. It was a wonderful organ and remarkable acoustics. The church was built in 1901-1903 and was named Baptist Church. The building represents Neo-Gothic Style. The church was ruined during the war and a new Concert Hall was opened in 1980. The organ has 3600 tubes. In 1990 the first International competition of organists was hold in Kaliningrad. We are luck to listen to divine music of Bach, Mozart, Brams and other composers of the past.
On a small island, surrounded by the arms of river Pregolya, one can see the ruins of the Cathedral, and near it the grave to great Germap philosopher Immanuel Kant. The monument was built to commemorate the 200th anniversary of great thinker, in 1924.
Immenuel Kant was born in 1724 in the year, then the King Friedrich Wilhelm united three small towns on the bank of Pregel river (Alstadt, Lobenicht, Kneiphof) into one, and gave it the name of Konigsberg. But the first mentioning of the Eastern-Prussian settlement on the Baltic Sea coast dates back to 1255. So historians consider this days as beginning of Konigsberg.
The Cathedral began to be created in 1333, it was under construction for 50 years. Next to it there was the famous University “Albertina” where many outstanding German scientists worked, Immanuel Kant and among them.
Konigsberg University was founded in 1544 by Albert Gogentsoler. Originally it had four faculties-philosophy, theology, low and medicine. First a student had to get education at the philosophy faculty, and only then specials in some other subject. The number of students at that time was 200. In 1740 when Kant became a student, were eight subjects, taught at “Albertina”.
As a modern city Kaliningrad has a well developed infrastructure. You’ll be pleasantly surprised with the plenty of the hotels, shopping and leisure centers, restaurants, cafes and disco-clubs. There are several concert halls and cinema theaters as well. Fitness centers, SPA and beauty salons are always ready to attend you. As a world center of amber recovery Kaliningrad offers you a huge rang of the amber jewelries at a reasonable price.
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The population of the city is around 450 000 people and 937 000 people lives on the territory of the Kaliningrad Oblast (Region). But in summer some small towns on the Baltic seaside, such as Svetlogorsk and Zelenogradsk, doubles their population. And of course we’d advice you, if you decide to visit Kaliningrad, to increase the number of seaside’s visitors for a couple of days.
Say if these statements true or false.
1) The Kaliningrad Technical State University is the oldest educational institution of Russia.
2) A 25 minute drive will take you to the famous climatic resorts Svetlogorsk and Zelenogradsk.
3) Kaliningradians don’t have enough possibilities to go in for sports.
4) It the ending of Leonov Street there is a monument to our cosmonauts-follow-towns.
5) Kaliningrad is a big sea port; most of the population is engaged in fishing industry.
6) On a big island, surrounded by the arms of river Pregolya, one can see the ruins of the Cathedral, and near it the grave to great Germap philosopher Immanuel Kant.
7. Natural resources
Amber
Amber is obtained by an open minning, works being carried out by the state unitary enterprise “Kaliningrad Amber Plant”, which has a great potential for producing not only a jewelry, bit a number of valuable semiproducts such as amber acid, oil, high quality insulators.
Oil
Oil was found on the territory of the region in 1963. In twenty years it was also found on the Baltic shelf. This is highly grade oil with a sulphur content of only 0,2%. It taken from the depth of 1,5-2,0 thousand metres/ industrial production started in 1075. Oil is delivered to Lithuania for further processing. In present the possibility of oil processing directly in Kaliningrad is being considered.
Peat
Peat deposits occupy more than 7% of the region’s territory, its layer varies from 3-5 m to 12m. the total volume is estimated over 3,0 billion cubic metres. Peat is used as an organic fertilizer or for heating.
Rock salt
Salt containing areas are around of hundreds sq.km., its stocks were found to be more than tens of billion tons. It covers the needs of the whole region and its exported to other countries.
Brown coal
Stocks are not so impressive (about 50 million tons), but the mineral could be used for produsing a mineral wax, which is utilized in metallurgy, chemical, pulp and paper industries, as well as in pharmacology.
Timber
Coniferous and leaf-bearing woods occupy 18% of the region, 40% of which are of artificial origin. Timber cutting is minimum, forest having mainly environmental and recreational importance.
Construction materials
Sand, clay and gravel are found in different parts of the region. Among other minerals: heavy sands containing titanium, zirconium and ironmanganese.
Fish
The largest inland water reservois (Curonian and Vistular Bays) are rich in fish. The bays are rather shallow having favourable conditions for fish growth and reproduction. Bream, pike-perch, eel are of the highest production value.
Sprats, Baltic herring, plaice, cod and Baltic salmon are extracted in the waters of the Baltic Sea.
Choose what we were talking about:
Oil
Copper
Brown coal
Amber
Iron
Timber
Pearls
Peat
Did you know:
Amber is a brittle mineral.
Amber is the fossilized resin of prehistoric pines. It is found in many, countries, but 95 percent of the world total is concentrated on the territory of Kaliningrad region. Baltic amber is considered to be the finestin the world.
The average age of amber is 60 million years old. The amber stones with in elusions of prehistoric insects and bits of vegetation are especially valuable.
There is a remarkable collection of amber objects of past and present in the museum of Kaliningrad.
For a long thousand year period the amber extraction had been done by means of picking amber pieces on the sea- shore or out of the sea with the help of boat-hooks and landing-nets. Nowadays the extraction of amber is performed with modern technical equipment. The largest in the world industrial enterprise extracting and manufacturing "the sun stone" near Yantarny settlement.
Kaliningrad amber combine production goes into more then 30 countries in the world.
Amber colour scale is rather rich. It fluctuates from watery-colourless 'to cherry-colour. But brown-yellowish sort of amber predominates. At times you can come across a piece of amber combining several different colours.
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