It was also called the birthplace of amber and the city of the famous German philosopher Immanuel Kant. It is about about Königsberg, i.e. Kaliningrad, which used to be the capital of the German province of East Prussia until May 1945, and was then ceded to the USSR along with the northern part of the province by the decision of the Potsdam Conference held in July 1945. We present a reportage prepared by APA's special correspondent in Russia, Farid Akbarov, on the role of Azerbaijanis in the conquest of Königsberg and its later development as Kaliningrad.
We are at the westernmost point of Russia...
In Kaliningrad, once called Königsberg by the Germans and Korolovets by the Poles, which was given to the Soviet Union as a contribution as a result of World War II in 1945 and named in honor of Mikhail Kalinin, one of the leaders of the USSR, since 1946... Considered a fortress city in East Prussia, Königsberg, which means "King's Mountain" in German, or Kaliningrad, is the only enclave of the Russian Federation in Europe.
Kaliningrad is separated from the main territory of Russia by several states. To get there by land, you must first cross the border with Belarus and then pass through Lithuania. Kaliningrad is also considered an exclave or semi-exclave region of Russia, not an enclave. The fact that the region is surrounded by not one, but two countries, and has access to the sea, gives grounds to those who claim that Kaliningrad is not an enclave, but an exclave or semi-exclave region.
Surrounded by NATO, under a transport blockade...
Kaliningrad, which is part of the Northwestern Federal District of Russia and has a population of over 1 million, has an area of 15,125 square kilometers.
Kaliningrad, located on the coast of the Baltic Sea, surrounded by the NATO countries of Poland and Lithuania, has no land border with mainland Russia. Let's take into account that Poland and Lithuania have declared Russia an enemy country due to the war in Ukraine, so Kaliningrad is also considered a region of strategic importance for Russia from a military perspective.
If before the war with Ukraine, Russian citizens could cross the border from Poland or Lithuania by land and travel to Kaliningrad, now, two days after the war began, the airspace of the aforementioned countries was also closed to Russia. Now, Russians can only travel to Kaliningrad by plane, and that too via a longer route over the Baltic Sea. Therefore, it would not be wrong to say that Kaliningrad has been under a transport blockade for almost three years.
According to its governor, Alexey Besprozvannykh, today the economy of the Kaliningrad region is developing despite all obstacles: "Despite the pressure of sanctions, the volume of investments in the region is increasing. The previously existing economic routes, namely land routes, have now been replaced by sea routes. We carry out our trade relations with other regions of Russia, as well as with foreign countries with which we have economic relations, only by sea, by ship and ferry."
The leadership of the Kaliningrad province also revealed that Russia intends to develop relations with Azerbaijan within the framework of interregional cooperation with neighboring countries. According to the governor, the region currently has trade and economic relations with the Republic of Azerbaijan.
"In 2023, the volume of trade turnover between the Kaliningrad province and Azerbaijan was $22 million, and in the first 9 months of 2024, this indicator was $16 million. This showcases that there are connections, but in my opinion, these connections can be developed further. Moreover, there is potential to develop our partnership relations with Azerbaijan not only in the trade and economic sphere, but also in other areas, and we will definitely prepare a "road map" for this, - said Alexey Besprozvannykh.
Azerbaijanis who conquered Königsberg
Azerbaijan and Kaliningrad are connected not only by today, but also by history. Thus, the Azerbaijani factor played an important role in the region's entry into the Soviet Union. The bravery and heroism shown by Azerbaijani soldiers in the liberation of Königsberg from Hitler's troops and the conquest of Fort No. 5, the city's defensive fortress, are still talked about today.
A resident of the village of Hamosham, Astara, who killed 8 German soldiers and captured 13
Fort No. 5 was one of the main fortresses where Hitler's Germany defended Königsberg. Thus, the troops of Hitler's Germany were defended from the troops of the Soviet Union on April 7-8, 1945, in this very fortress. The defense of the fortress lasted more than two and a half days. The USSR troops attacked and captured the fortress, during which 15 Soviet soldiers were killed, one of whom was Azerbaijani Lieutenant Mirza Jabiyev. It was on this fortress that Mirza Jabiyev planted the flag of victory, and for this bravery, he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
A plaque with a photo of Azerbaijani hero Mizra Jabiyev, a resident of the Hamosham village of Astara district, and detailed information about his bravery are also displayed to tourists visiting Fort No. 5, which today operates as a museum.
The guide of "Fort No. 5" Maria Burluzkaya talks a lot about the Azerbaijani hero: "Lieutenant Jabiyev, with his platoon, entered the enemy's trench in the Fort area and planted the red flag. At that time, German troops were still resisting in the fortress. However, Jabiyev, showing great bravery and heroism, killed 8 German soldiers and took 13 captive. This was truly a great act of heroism. After the war, Jabiyev returned to his homeland. He became the chairman of the collective farm in his native region."
The Azerbaijani Trace in the Homeland of Amber
Another Azerbaijani compatriot played a major role in the conquest of Königsberg and its subsequent transformation into the Soviet city of Kaliningrad. This is Karim Rizayev, the first civilian director of the amber plant, which is considered a symbol of Kaliningrad.
The world's largest amber deposits are located in the Kaliningrad. The fact that about 90 percent of amber reserves fall to Kaliningrad has made this precious stone the main symbol of the region. The settlement of "Yantarnı", where amber is mined, is a town surrounded by greenery with an ancient history. There are open pit quarries here where the industrial extraction of this precious stone is carried out. Since the largest amber deposits in the world are located here, the only amber mining and processing plant also operates here.
Despite the fact that the Amber combine has had dozens of directors, only the memorial plaque of the Azerbaijani Karim Rizayev has been installed on the building of the combine. The memory of Azerbaijani compatriot is also preserved to this day in the “Amber Chamber” (“Yantarnaya palata”) museum located on the territory of the combine.
According to Natalia Kreimil, an employee of the “Yantarnaya palata”, Karim Novruz Rizayev was the first non-military director of the amber combine: "He headed this plant from 1955 to 1962. Rizayev was a participant in the conquest of Königsberg and a Hero of Socialist Labor. His great merit was that Rizayev combined the production and processing of amber in one enterprise. Therefore, today the Kaliningrad Amber Plant is the first and only enterprise in the world that both extracts and processes amber. Rizayev went to Azerbaijan in 1962, where he was offered a position. However, he did not break off relations with the combine, and later came to Kaliningrad many times and visited the combine. Therefore, the memory of Karim Rizayev is preserved to this day, and a memorial plaque hangs in the main building of the combine."
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Königsberg, the birthplace of German philosopher Kant
Kaliningrad is considered the birthplace of both amber and the famous German philosopher Immanuel Kant. Kant was born, lived and worked in Königsberg, a fact which the locals are very proud of and are respectful of. The grave of the great philosopher is located near the wall of the main cathedral of Königsberg, almost all of whose buildings were destroyed during World War II, and is considered one of the few historical symbols of the city that has survived to this day.
During World War II, Königsberg was subjected to heavy air raids by British troops, and almost all of its buildings were destroyed. Of the buildings in the style typical of German culture, only the columns of the Königsberg Cathedral remain. During the Soviet era, i.e. after Königsberg was turned into Kaliningrad, square-shaped buildings typical of the Soviet era with an uninspiring exterior were built here. However, after the collapse of the USSR, modern Russia restored Kaliningrad's Germanic past. Historical buildings which were destroyed during World War II were restored in their original style. Of course, Germany also helped Russia in the restoration work.
Despite the deterioration of relations with Germany due to the war with Ukraine, German tourists can travel to Kaliningrad by crossing the Polish border in their own cars. For this, it is enough for German citizens to obtain an electronic Russian visa. It is said that in the summer months, that is, during the period favorable for tourism, one can find a large number of German tourists in Kaliningrad.
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