
If you’ve ever looked at a map
of the Schengen area, you’d probably find it a bit odd that there’s a small
country in the Baltic region that was snubbed. Like, what did that small
country do for the European Union to go Mean Girls and give it the YOU CAN’T
SIT WITH US treatment, right? Well, it’s not even a nation-state to begin with.
It’s called Kaliningrad, a Russian oblast which was once the capital of an
empire called Prussia. Prussia? Russia? Koenigsberg? A lot of names to digest
in one sitting. Let’s clear that up.
There was this empire before called Prussia. I never really got a handle on the idea of Prussia itself. Was it like, Russia, but with a P? All I know is that it used to be a legit power in Europe. Oh well, its glory days are over because it didn’t seem to have made it to our day and age. All I know is that Kaliningrad used to be called Koenigsberg. Yup, it has a German lineage of sorts, which is why my expectations were that of a city with an identity crisis, bilingual in German and Russian like Flensburg is in German and Danish.



The reality is that I haven’t
seen a single trace of German in the streets since I got here. Okay, that was a
lie. I did see a German phrase on one of the trams, but it wasn’t really meant
to be there. It was more like an electronic glitch that they no longer bothered
to fix. The thing is, Kaliningrad nowadays is as Russian as it can be, with
some traces of its German past limited to a smattering of old buildings that
seem to subscribe to the Central European architectural motif. The best
example? The Königsberg Cathedral.



This cathedral was actually
the last on my list for the day because it was down south. Anyway, there was an
ongoing graduation ceremony when I went there and it did make the place
livelier. I suppose that in any ordinary day it would be quiet and a bit spooky
especially at sundown. The cathedral is on its own island, which looks kind of
strange to me. Is it a man-made island? It’s right smack at the center of the
city. But then again the city center has little lakes and rivers all
around. Perhaps, this is also natural.

The cathedral looks German all
right. The red brick. The style of the tower. The huge clock on the façade.
After a while I then realized that it’s rather stupid to try and link the city
to Germany. Geographically, it seems closer to Russia. Moving on, is this cathedral
the only tourist attraction in the city? Well, it appears to be the most
popular, but there are other places of interest as well. I guess it’s now time
to go chronological with my story, although the first on my list is yet another
church.



I liked the Church of Christ
the Saviour better. This one is Orthodox Catholic, meaning they are allergic to
statues. These guys have icons instead, as well as walls and ceilings
intricately painted with vivid religious art. If you can’t sculpt them, paint
them. I never really intended to go inside, but I’m glad that I took a peek and
eventually liked it. It’s a personal thingy. I find sculptures rather creepy,
like Jesus would suddenly come alive one night and chase you down the hall. Paintings won’t
do that to you, unless you’re in a Harry Potter movie.



The church is just as
appealing outside. Orthodox churches prefer multiple mini domes, most of the
time painted in gold and shimmering under the glare of the sun. I guess this is
where Kaliningrad’s identity crisis kicks in. Two prominent churches from
opposing traditions! But let’s stop talking about religion. What else is there
to see? If you’re already at Victory Square, then you will also see an obelisk
at the center. Unfortunately, my basic Russian can’t decipher what’s written on
it. It must be something historical.

Walking around the area will
bring you to several green parks with sculptures dedicated to certain popular
figures from the past. Since it’s spring, the green of the grass complements
the bright orange, red, and yellow of the flowers littering these public
gardens. There are rickety Soviet trams and buses aplenty to bring you wherever
you want to go for a minimal fee of RUB20 (~PHP18), but walking is also
recommended if it’s not that cold outside. It doesn’t get too hot here in
Kaliningrad, even during the summer.



If you decide to walk, there
are maps scattered around the city suggesting a route which will bring you to
the ruins of an old wall that served as battle fortification when the city was
not Russian yet. These ruins are brick red and resemble medieval castle walls.
I wasn’t that amazed, really. The two churches defo served as the
highlights of the trip. Kaliningrad is doable as a one-day itinerary in my
opinion. If you’ve always been curious of this oblast detached from the
motherland, then by all means, go.
[KALININGRAD] Russia with a P
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