However, after Stalingrad and Kursk, the Germans began to guess that soon the rear status of East Prussia could be replaced by front-line status, and began to prepare it for defense by building fortifications. As the front approached the borders of the region, these works became more and more intensive. East Prussia was turned into a huge fortified area with a defense depth of 150-200 km. Königsberg was located behind many lines of fortifications (from three to nine in different directions).

First battles on German soil

Soviet troops represented by the 3rd Belorussian and 1st Baltic fronts reached the borders of East Prussia in September 1944 as a result of the triumphant operation Bagration (by far the best strategic operation of the Soviet army in the entire Great Patriotic War) and the Baltic offensive operation (also quite successful). The Germans were going to defend East Prussia to the last opportunity, not only and not so much for military reasons, but for political and psychological reasons - this region meant too much to them historically. Nevertheless, the Soviet command planned to capture East Prussia before the end of 1944.

The first offensive against East Prussia began on October 16, 1944. Two days later, the troops of the 3rd Belorussian Front entered the territory of this region for the first time, i.e. to the territory of Germany, which they have been striving for since June 41st.

However, the operation from the first moment turned into a frontal "gnawing" of a very powerful German defense. Therefore, already on October 27, the offensive was stopped. It cannot be called unsuccessful - the troops advanced deep into East Prussia by 50-100 km. However, its complete capture was out of the question, and Soviet losses turned out to be twice those of the enemy (80,000 against 40,000). But a bridgehead on enemy territory was created, important experience was gained.

On the second try

The second attempt was made already in 1945. To carry out the East Prussian operation, the Soviet army concentrated 1.7 million people, 25.4 thousand guns, 3.8 thousand tanks and self-propelled guns, 3.1 thousand aircraft against about 800 thousand people, 8.2 thousand guns, 700 tanks and self-propelled guns, 800 aircraft as part of the German Army Group North (former Army Group Center).

The Soviet offensive by the forces of the 2nd and 3rd Belorussian and 1st Baltic fronts began on January 13 in two directions - through Gumbinnen to Königsberg (from the bridgehead captured in October 1944) and from the Nareva region to the Baltic coast.

In contrast to the Vistula-Oder operation that began and triumphantly developed at the same time (on January 31, the troops crossed the Oder, only 70 km remained to Berlin), the offensive in East Prussia was extremely slow and resembled in this sense the offensive operations of the first half of the war. The reason for this was the well-prepared defense in depth of the Germans and the fire of the German ships. It was thanks to the fire of the ships ("pocket battleships" "Lützow" and "Admiral Scheer", the heavy cruiser "Prinz Eugen", about 20 destroyers, destroyers and floating batteries) that the Germans regularly launched counterattacks, which by that time was almost unthinkable in other sectors of the front . In addition, the German fleet managed to transfer as many as eight divisions from the Courland bridgehead to East Prussia, the Baltic Fleet and the Soviet Air Force could not prevent this.

By the beginning of February, despite fierce resistance, the Soviet troops cut the German group into three parts. However, the final victory was very far away. Thanks to the support of naval artillery, the largest of the German groups, the Heilsberg (south of Königsberg), launched a successful counterattack and rejoined the Königsberg group. During these battles, on February 18, the commander of the 3rd Belorussian Front, General of the Army Ivan Chernyakhovsky, died (he was only 38 years old).

What is happening in East Prussia led to the fact that the 1st Belorussian Front under the command of Zhukov stopped the attack on Berlin and turned to the north, launching an offensive against Eastern Pomerania together with the 2nd Belorussian Front.

Thus, the defense of Koenigsberg delayed the fall of Berlin, i.e. end of the war for at least two months.

At the same time, in Eastern Pomerania, Soviet troops faced the same problem - crushing fire from German naval artillery, which made a ground offensive very difficult.

The German grouping in East Pomerania and the Heilsberg grouping in East Prussia were eliminated only by the end of March. At the same time, Danzig fell, which led to the final isolation of German troops in East Prussia from the main forces of the Wehrmacht. In addition, the German fleet was forced to shift its efforts to the west, first to the area of ​​​​the Danzig Bay, then to East Pomerania. The departure of the German ships, with which the Baltic Fleet was never able to cope, facilitated the actions of the ground forces in East Prussia.

Capture of Koenigsberg

Objectively speaking, after that, the remnants of German troops in East Prussia did not pose any threat to the Soviet army, they could simply be ignored, throwing maximum forces at Berlin. However, it was not in our rules. Now the target is the capital of the region. Ahead was the battle for Koenigsberg.

The defense of Koenigsberg consisted of three lines and included 12 large and 5 small forts, plus many other defensive structures. The city was defended by a 134,000-strong German garrison. The assault on Königsberg began on April 6. Before that, for four days, artillery and aviation training was carried out in the capital of East Prussia, in which 5 thousand guns and 1.5 thousand aircraft were involved. It was this that decided the outcome of the battle, especially since the shelling and bombardment of the city continued during the assault itself.

Even the powerful German fortification could not withstand such an amount of metal that fell upon it. Königsberg fell very quickly - already on April 9, 92 thousand German troops surrendered, including commander General Lasch.

After the capture of Koenigsberg, there was absolutely no need to fight in East Prussia, but the Soviet command did not think so. The last German grouping remained in the western part of East Prussia, on the Samland Peninsula. It was captured on April 25, at the same time Pillau fell (note that at that time there were already battles in the center of Berlin!). The remnants of the German troops (22 thousand people) retreated to the Frishe-Nerung spit, now bearing the name Baltic, where they surrendered on May 9th.

The results of the East Prussian operation

Of all the operations of the last year of the war, it was in East Prussian that the Soviet troops suffered the greatest losses - almost 127 thousand people. killed, 3.5 thousand tanks, almost 1.5 thousand aircraft. The Germans lost at least 300 thousand people killed. To Soviet losses directly in East Prussia, one must add significant additional losses during the assault on Berlin at the end of April (in early February it was quite realistic to take it on the move).

Thus, the "citadel of German militarism" cost us extremely dearly, although the assault on Koenigsberg itself was carried out almost flawlessly.

The reasons for this are indicated above - the extreme saturation of East Prussia with defensive lines and the complete inability of the Baltic Fleet and the Soviet Air Force to neutralize German ships (all of them were sunk by British aircraft in April-May 1945, but they had already done their "dirty deed" by this time).

At the same time, it is not a fact that the East Prussian operation should have been carried out at all. In fact, the Stalingrad mistake was repeated here, when, while finishing off the "cauldron", a much larger German grouping was missed from the Caucasus. Moreover, there was no need to finish off - Paulus's army was doomed to death from cold and hunger. Two years later, the German grouping in East Prussia was also doomed and no longer had any opportunity to hit the flank and rear of the Soviet troops advancing on Berlin, it could simply be restrained by fairly limited forces without any assaults. Then Berlin would have inevitably fallen in February, which would have ended the war. But alas.

Koenigsberg, now the well-known city of Kaliningrad, is an enclave washed by the cold and noisy Baltic Sea.

The history of the city is majestic and multifaceted, more than 700 years old - seven centuries of rapid growth, rapid seizures and frequent changes of heads of government.

The most western city of Russia is shrouded in ancient legends and surrounded by interesting historical sights.

Basic information

Story

It was founded on September 1, 1255. The beginning of the modern city was a castle erected on the site of the Prussian settlement Twangste in the lower reaches of the Pregel River. The Grand Master of the Teutonic Order Poppo von Ostern and King Premysl Otakar II of the Czech Republic are considered to be the founders.

Tvangste was besieged by the knights, but after the arrival of help from the King of Bohemia, the settlement fell. The first building was made of wood, and in 1257 the construction of brick walls began.

The castle was named Koenigsberg, he was sieged three times (in 1260, 1263 and 1273) by the Prussian tribes, but resisted. In subsequent years, German colonists began to arrive to develop the Prussian lands. The indigenous people were assimilated and by the 16th century only 20% of the total population remained.

On February 28, 1286, the settlement near the castle walls, bearing the same name, was given city rights. Other settlements grew rapidly around. In 1300, another city began to be called - Löbenicht, it was in it that the first printing house was opened in 1523, and in 1524 the first book was printed.

From an administrative point of view, both cities were independent, but in fact formed a single whole. The united cities were named Koenigsberg, and the first and oldest part of it was renamed Altstadt ("old town").

The third settlement to receive official status was Kneiphof, and it also formed part of Königsberg.

In 1466, as a result of the thirteen-year war, the capital of the Teutonic Order was moved from Marienburg to Konigsberg.

In 1525, the theocratic state became known as the Duchy of Prussia, and Grand Master Albrecht proclaimed himself a duke. From the 16th century, the city became a cultural center, important figures lived there and the first books in the Lithuanian language were published.

In 1660, the publication of his own newspaper began., copies of it were regularly sent to Russia to compile reviews intended for the Boyar Duma and Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich.

Territorially unified, but consisting of administratively independent districts, the city existed until 1724, then the official unification of the three cities, their surrounding suburbs, towns and the castle took place. The name remained the same - Koenigsberg.

As a result of the seven-year war, the city belonged to Russia from 1758 to 1762, until Empress Elizabeth gave it back as a sign of reconciliation. In the 19th century, Koenigsberg grew rapidly and modernized, countless ravelins, bastions and defensive ramparts were built (many of the buildings are still preserved).

In 1857, a railway appeared in Konigsberg, and in 1862 a railway connection with Russia was laid. In May 1881, a new type of transport appeared - horse-drawn carriage (horse-drawn - railway city), and exactly 14 years later (in 1895) - the first trams. In 1901, the electrification of public transport began.

In 1919, the first airport in Germany and one of the first in the world, Devau, was built and put into operation. Regular flights Koenigsberg - Riga - Moscow were organized in 1922. In the XX century, the city expanded significantly, were built:

• stations;
• residential buildings;
• commercial buildings.

The greatest contribution to the architecture of the city was made by Hans Hopp and Friedrich Heitmann. A large place was given to monuments and sculptures, they were created by both graduates and teachers of the Königsberg Academy of Arts. At the same time, research and reconstruction were carried out in the old castle.

In August 1944, during the bombing by Britain, the city was badly damaged and the entire old center of Koenigsberg was destroyed.

In the same year, it was stormed by Soviet soldiers.

Assault and capture in 1945

The siege of the city began in December 1944, and assault troops were sent on April 5, 1945. On April 10, a flag was raised over the tower of Der Dona (modern amber museum), marking the end of German rule. During fierce battles, both sides suffered losses of 50 thousand people..

We offer you to watch a video about the assault on Koenigsberg.

Who was given a medal for taking?

On June 9, 1945, the Presidium of the USSR Armed Forces ordered the establishment of a medal for the capture of the city-fortress of Koenigsberg.

This the medal was awarded to servicemen of the army, navy and troops of the NKVD who took personal part in the battle for the city, as well as organizers and leaders of hostilities in the period from January 23 to April 10, 1945.

This medal is the only one established in the USSR for the capture of a fortress, all the rest were for the liberation and capture of capitals.

Legend of underground Kaliningrad

The essence of the legend is that under the city there is an underground city - an understudy built during the German rule. It has power plants, numerous warehouses of food and household goods, there are tank and aircraft manufacturing plants.

Also, the underground city is a repository for many valuables, including the Amber Room. There are two versions of the end of the legend:

1. During the assault on the city by Soviet soldiers, the Germans collapsed and partially flooded several passages.
2. After the war, an expedition was sent to the dungeon, but it could not fully explore all the passages. It was decided to wall up the unexplored tunnels.

Some residents claim that all systems in the lower city are working properly and sometimes someone turns them on to check, then a rumble is heard from the basements and a glow appears.

According to some versions, people still live underground.

The legend originated in the 1950s, provoked its appearance by numerous artistic and documentary works of those times.

Where is it on the map?

The city is located on the shores of the Baltic Sea. From the south it borders with Poland, and from the east and north - with Lithuania. It has no land borders with Russia.

What does this name mean in German?

• The center of the city was the castle, at the foundation it was called the "King's Mountain" (translated from the German Königsberg), in honor of the King of the Czech Republic Premysl Otakar II, who is one of the founders.
• According to another version, the word "Kenigsberg" is of Gothic origin: kuniggs is the head of the clan, and berg is the coast.

Which country does it belong to?

In 1945, the Potsdam Conference was held, by its decision, the German province, together with its capital, was annexed to the Soviet Union. After the death of the Chairman of the Supreme Council M. I. Kalinin July 4, 1946 the city received a new name - Kaliningrad, and its region became Kaliningrad.

Coat of arms

The modern emblem was approved on July 17, 1996 and finalized on April 28, 1999. The authors of the project are Ernest Grigo and Sergey Kolevatov. The old coat of arms of Koenigsberg was taken as a basis.

On a blue background is a silver ship with one sail and a silver two-pointed pennant with the St. Andrew's Cross. The mast goes down with three green sheets. Under the ship there are 12 golden bezants laid in the form of a wave.

In the center of the mast there is a shield crossed with silver and scarlet, in the upper part there is a crown, in the lower part there is an equal-ended Greek cross (both figures of variable colors). Around the shield is the ribbon of the medal for the capture of Koenigsberg.

the Royal Castle

Story

Founded in 1255 on former Prussian territory. Initially, the building was defensive in nature and was built of wood, later it was reinforced with stone walls. In the early period, the Gothic style prevailed in the appearance of the castle, but over time, the purpose of the building itself changed and its architectural appearance changed.

With the coming to power of Duke Albrecht in 1525 the castle turned into a secular palace. Coronations and receptions were held in its halls. In the 18th century, in the basement of the northern wing, there was a wine restaurant "Blutgericht", translated as "Bloody Court". Previously, there was a prison in the restaurant, and a court over it.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the castle served as a museum; rare collections were located within its walls:

1. books;
2. paintings;
3. weapons.

The castle was captured by the Germans during World War II, meetings were held in it and valuables from plundered countries were stored. One of these booty was the famous Amber Room, transported by the Germans from Pushkin. Its current location is not known.

The castle was badly damaged during the war, but the final "collapse" occurred in 1968 - by order of the Soviet authorities, the building was blown up, and the remaining stones were used for new buildings. Several attempts were made to start rebuilding the castle. Excavations on its territory are periodically renewed, the last ones are dated 2016.

Where can you find ruins?

The ruins of the castle are located at: st. Shevchenko 2, public transport stop "Hotel Kaliningrad". Landmark - House of Soviets, built on the territory of the former castle. The visit is paid and is possible on any day from 10 to 18.

What other sights are there?

• fish village. An ethnographic, craft and trade complex on the banks of the Pregel River, stylized as old Prussia. Was built in 2006.
• Kant Island(Kneiphof). It is located in the middle of the Pregel River, in the XIV century there was a whole city with its own coat of arms. In 1944, there were 28 streets, 304 houses on the island, public transport ran, during the bombing in August of that year the city was completely destroyed. Now the only building is the Cathedral, surrounded by alleys and sculptures.
• World Ocean Museum. It was opened in 1990 with the aim of preserving and promoting the maritime heritage of Russia. The museum presents the history of shipbuilding and exhibitions dedicated to marine flora and fauna, as well as the study of the seabed.
• Holy Cross Cathedral. Located on October Island. Until 1945, there was a Lutheran-Evangelical shrine here, bearing the name of the Church of the Cross. Currently, it is an Orthodox church. The central element in the external decoration is a mosaic Protestant cross on the facade, framed by an ornament with lilies and wind roses. Inside the church is already decorated in accordance with Orthodox traditions.

forts

Starting from the 19th century, instead of a continuous wall around the city, a network of forts was built (earth fortifications with stone buildings that could accommodate 300 soldiers and a supply of ammunition). The territory between them was shot through by artillery, and at a later time by machine guns.

The defensive ring around Koenigsberg consisted of 12 large and 5 small forts and was called the "night feather bed".

This defense system was tested in April 1945, having come under fire from the Soviet Army.

Most of the forts were destroyed, and the few that remained until recently were abandoned. Monuments of fortification art are gradually being restored. Two forts are available in tour mode:

• No. 5 King Frederick William III;
• No. 11 Dönhoff.

Below is a video about the forts of Kenegsberg.

A photo

In the photo below you can see the main historical sights of the city:

When and how did the deportation of the Germans take place?

In 1946, Stalin signed a decree on voluntary resettlement in Kaliningrad 12 thousand Russian families from 27 different regions. From 1945 to 1948, several dozen Germans coexisted with Russians in the city, German schools, churches and public organizations worked.

But this neighborhood cannot be called peaceful - the Germans were regularly subjected to violence and looting by the Soviet population. The government tried in every possible way to destroy the hostility between the peoples:

1. published a newspaper;
2. teaching was conducted in German;
3. working Germans were issued food cards.

Due to the impossibility of peaceful coexistence and the increase in cases of violence, in 1947 a decision was made to forcibly deport the German population.

Between 1947 and 1948, about 100,000 German citizens and Prussian Lithuanians were resettled.

The deportation took place peacefully and in an orderly manner, the former residents of East Prussia were allowed to carry any amount of cargo with them, dry rations were also issued and conscientious assistance was provided during the movement.

Receipts were taken from all those departing that there were no claims against the Soviet Government.. Some of the German specialists were left to restore agriculture and production, but they also did not receive citizenship and eventually left the country.

The history of Koenigsberg as a Russian city of Kaliningrad is just beginning. Its cultural image has undergone significant changes over the past 15 years:

• new museums appeared;
• the forts were restored;
• built the first Orthodox church.

For a long time, the architectural heritage of the Prussian lands fell into decay, but modern society took up their restoration.

Modern Kaliningrad, the westernmost outpost of our country, today bears little resemblance to the former imperial German Koenigsberg. But in the old days, the capital of East Prussia shone, it was from here that the unification of all German lands into a single Germany began, the cradle of German statehood was created, the citadel of chivalry and Prussian militarism, it was here that the plans of the First and Second World Wars were made.

It is known from history that the main city of East Prussia, Königsberg, was founded in 1255 by the German Teutonic Order Crusaders as a stronghold during their conquest of the land of the ancient Prussians - a group of Baltic tribes that had inhabited the southern coast of the Baltic Sea since ancient times. Since 1312, the "great marshal" of the Teutonic Order settled in Königsberg, the city was actively populated by people from various regions of Germany and soon became part of the Hanseatic League.

In 1618, Brandenburg merged with the Duchy of Prussia, and in 1701 the Brandenburg-Prussian state became the Kingdom of Prussia (capital Berlin). The history of the emergence and development of the Prussian state was constantly associated with the seizure of foreign lands. The dominance of the military in Prussia has always been its characteristic feature.

Here is how Marshal Bagramyan I.Kh. described his impressions of Prussia: “... On the morning of February 9, 1945, we crossed the border of East Prussia. After a few tens of kilometers, we had the impression that we were in a vast military settlement. All villages and farms looked like small strongholds with powerful walls of wild stone and red brick, while the estates of the Prussian Junkers were real fortresses. This is how the conquistadors-robbers who seized foreign land usually settled down ”(Bagramyan I.X. This is how we went to victory. - M .: Voenizdat, 1977).

And only Russia from time to time managed to tame the obstinate and aggressive Prussians, so in the period 1756-1763, Russia and Prussia, states that do not have common borders, became participants in a long and cruel war, known as the Seven Years, the fighting between them lasted four and a half of the year.

The war for Prussia was extremely unsuccessful, and as a result, in January 1758, Königsberg was taken by Russian troops.

It is interesting to note that, foreseeing the inevitable capture of the province by Russian troops, the practical Germans from among the representatives of the local authorities decided that it was better not to endanger the lives of the population, cities and villages with destruction, but to surrender "under a different crown."

Thus, Koenigsberg voluntarily came under the protection of Russia, and the whole of East Prussia was occupied by Russian troops and a Russian administration was introduced in it under the command of the Russian Governor-General.

At the beginning of May, Fermor announced to all military commanders "that, in order to facilitate my work in the general government of the kingdom of Prussia, Lieutenant General Korf was appointed with a salary of 500 rubles a month from the income of Prussia."

After Korf, the province was ruled by three more governors: V.I. Suvorov (father of A.V. Suvorov), P.I. Panin and F.M. Voeikov. At the same time, the post of governor-general was also preserved. Officially, the governors-general were guided by the manifesto of Elizabeth Petrovna of March 6, 1758, which stated: “... we deign, even in the midst of the war itself, to care as much as possible about the well-being of innocent lands, because their trade and commerce should not be stopped, but protected and assisted” (RGADA, f.25, op.1, file 128, l.).

In December 1761, Russia's foreign policy was drastically changed in connection with the death of Empress Elizabeth. Her successor, Peter III, an admirer of the Prussian king, renounced all conquests on the territory of Prussia and ordered the release of its population from the oath of allegiance to the Russian emperor.

The withdrawal of Russian troops was completed in August 1762, already under the reign of Catherine II. Thus ended nearly five years of Russian rule in East Prussia.

After the defeat of Germany in the First World War, the losses of East Prussia were also great, since the province was the only German territory in which hostilities took place.

According to the Versailles Peace Treaty of 1919, which ended the war, Germany, along with other obligations, recognizing the complete independence of Poland, refused in its favor from part of Upper Silesia; the question of the rest of it, as well as of some districts of East Prussia (Marienwerder and Allenstein), was to be decided by holding plebiscites on the question of their nationality. However, these southern regions of East Prussia never went to Poland.

A plebiscite was held in July 1920, with 84.3% of the population voting in favor of joining East Prussia. These territories formed the East Prussian administrative district of Marienwerden.

In addition, according to the Treaty of Versailles, the Memel region and the city of Memel were separated from the territory of East Prussia, which were transferred under the control of the League of Nations (in 1924 these territories became part of Lithuania).

The Soldatz region was also separated from East Prussia; Germany renounced the rights to the city of Danzig with the district, which was declared a free city under the protection of the League of Nations.

In general, East Prussia lost about 315 thousand hectares of land and 166 thousand of its former citizens. The province was cut off from the rest of Germany (the so-called Polish (Danzig) Corridor) and faced great economic difficulties. The transit Russian transport and commodity communication, the most important source of income, was cut off. Before the First World War, Königsberg served vast Russian regions, Russian goods from twenty-two provinces passed through it. Grain and seeds arrived in Koenigsberg by rail through the border stations of Verzhblovo and Graevo. Part of the grain in Königsberg was reloaded onto ships and sent by sea to other countries or deep into Germany, part was used in the provinces. This whole well-established transportation system was destroyed.

The fate of East Prussia and its capital, Koenigsberg, was finally decided during the Second World War, or to be more precise, at its peak in 1943.

At the fourth meeting of the Tehran Conference of the leaders of the three allied powers - the USSR, the USA and Great Britain (November 28 - December 1, 1943), President Roosevelt proposed to discuss the issue of dismembering Germany. He stated that in order to "stimulate" the discussion on this issue, he would like to present the plan he had drawn up "personally two months ago for the partition of Germany into five states." So, in his opinion, “Prussia should be possibly weakened and reduced in size. Prussia should be the first independent part of Germany…” (The Soviet Union at international conferences during the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, v.2, Tehran Conference, M., 1984, p.148-149.).

The British Prime Minister Churchill put forward his plan for the dismemberment of Germany. He proposed, first of all, to "isolate" Prussia from the rest of Germany. “I would keep Prussia in harsh conditions,” he declared (Ibid., p. 149.).

Stalin said in this connection that “the Russians have no ice-free ports on the Baltic Sea. Therefore, the Russians would need ice-free ports of Königsberg and Memel and the corresponding part of the territory of East Prussia. Moreover, historically these are primordially Slavic lands.

This justification of Stalin is incorrect, because. Prussians were never Slavic tribes. But this point of view took place in Soviet historiography, since in one of the works of K. Marx the Prussians were called Slavic tribes ... If the British agree to transfer the indicated territory to us, then we will agree with the formula proposed by Churchill ”(Ibid., p. 150 .).

This proposal to transfer ice-free ports on the Baltic Sea to the USSR was in accordance with the recognition by the Western powers of the USSR's right to have access to ice-free seas. During a conversation between the heads of government during breakfast on November 30, Churchill stated that "Russia needs to have access to ice-free ports" and "... the British have no objections to this" (Ibid., p. 126.). On February 4, 1944, in a message to W. Churchill on the issue of the borders of Poland, Stalin again repeated his thought: “As for your statement to the Poles that Poland could significantly expand its borders in the west and north, then, as you know, we agree with this with one amendment. I spoke about this amendment to you and the President in Tehran.

We claim that the north-eastern part of East Prussia, including Königsberg, as an ice-free port, will go to the Soviet Union. This is the only piece of German territory to which we lay claim. Without satisfaction of this minimum claim of the Soviet Union, the concession of the Soviet Union, expressed in the recognition of the Curzon line, loses all meaning, as I already told you about this in Tehran ”(Correspondence of the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR with the US Presidents and British Prime Ministers during the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945, vol. 1, M., 1976, p. 235.).

The position of the USSR on the question of East Prussia on the eve of the Crimean Conference is set out in a brief summary of the note of the Commission on Peace Treaties and the Post-War Organization “On the Treatment of Germany” dated January 12, 1945:

"one. Changing the borders of Germany. It is assumed that East Prussia will partly go to the USSR, partly to Poland, and Upper Silesia to Poland ...

The question of East Prussia was considered in more detail at the Berlin (Potsdam) Conference of the leaders of the three Allied Powers on July 17 - August 2, 1945, which took place after the end of hostilities in Europe.

At the fifth meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs on July 22, the Soviet delegation conveyed to the US and British delegations proposals regarding the Koenigsberg region: “The conference expressed agreement with the proposal of the Soviet Union that, until the final settlement of territorial issues at a peace congress, the part of the western border of the USSR adjacent to the Baltic Sea passed from a point on the eastern shore of the Danzig Bay, indicated on the attached map to the east - north of Braunsberg - Goldap to the junction of the borders of the Lithuanian SSR, the Polish Republic and the former East Prussia ”(Berlin (Potsdam) Conference of the Leaders of the Three Allied Powers - the USSR, the USA and Great Britain 17 July - August 2, 1945, M., 1980, p. 351.).

On July 23, at the seventh meeting of the heads of government, the question of transferring the Königsberg region in East Prussia to the Soviet Union was considered. At the same time, Stalin stated that “President Roosevelt and Mr. Churchill, at the Tehran Conference, gave their consent to this matter, and this issue was agreed between us. We would like this agreement to be confirmed at this conference ”(Berlin (Potsdam) Conference of the leaders of the three allied powers - the USSR, the USA and Great Britain July 17 - August 2, 1945, M., 1980, p. 161-162.) .

In the course of an exchange of views, the US and British delegations confirmed their agreement, given in Tehran, to the transfer to the Soviet Union of the city of Königsberg and the area adjacent to it.

In the Minutes of the Berlin Conference of the Three Great Powers of August 1, 1945, in Section V and in the Report on the Berlin Conference of the Three Powers of August 2, 1945, in Section VI “The city of Königsberg and the area adjacent to it”, it was said: “The conference considered the proposal of the Soviet government on that, until the end of the settlement of territorial issues in a peaceful settlement, the part of the western border of the USSR adjacent to the Baltic Sea would pass from a point on the eastern shore of the Danzig Bay to the east, north of Braunsberg-Goldap, to the junction of the borders of Lithuania, the Republic of Poland and East Prussia.

The Conference agreed in principle with the proposal of the Soviet Government for the transfer to the Soviet Union of the city of Königsberg and the area adjacent to it, as described above. However, the exact boundary is subject to expert research.

Compared with modern borders, Prussia was divided as follows: 2/3 of the entire territory was given to Poland; the city of Koenigsberg and the Samland Peninsula - Russia; Memel region - Lithuania (modern Klaipeda is German Memel).

The German population continued to be in the Soviet zone of occupation on the territory of East Prussia until 1948.

On April 7, 1946, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR adopted the Decree "On the formation of the Koenigsberg region as part of the USSR."

And four months later, on July 4, also by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, the city was given a new name - Kaliningrad. The region became known as Kaliningrad.

According to eyewitnesses, the situation of the Germans, who did not have time or did not want to escape, was very difficult. Most of them have lost their homes.

When it became necessary to accommodate Soviet settlers, German families were evicted without accepting any objections. In total, 48 trains were sent to Germany, in which there were more than 102 thousand deported Germans. (Kostyashov Yu.V. The eviction of Germans from the Kaliningrad region in the post-war years - Questions of History, No. 6, 1994).

The organization of the deportation by the Soviet authorities was organized and carried out at a fairly high level, as evidenced by the relatively small number of victims. For example, in October-November 1947, according to the Soviet Ministry of Internal Affairs, 26 migrants died on the way from exhaustion and one from a heart attack.

Similar deportations in the rest of Europe were accompanied by many thousands of victims. Poles, Hungarians, Czechs did not spare the Germans, who were evicted from Silesia, Transylvania, Sudetenland.

The mass resettlement of Soviet citizens to the Kaliningrad region began in 1946, mainly migrants from Belarus, Pskov, Kalinin, Yaroslavl and Moscow regions. New settlers came here on party and Komsomol vouchers, as well as as a result of recruitment carried out by Kaliningrad industrial enterprises in need of labor, and collective farms and state farms, which began to be created on the former German lands at the direction of the new authorities.

Staying in the Baltics for 700 years, the Germans completely assimilated the local Prussian population during this time, but after the Second World War, the wave of German expansion receded back home, assimilation in the Soviet way took place much faster, in just over two years.

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The text is given without changes and abbreviations; the author's spelling, style and punctuation have been preserved.

After in the XIII century, at the request of the Polish prince Konrad of Mazovia and with the blessing of the Pope of Rome, the crusaders, led by the Teutonic Order, completely destroyed the pagan Lithuanian tribe of the Prussians (due to the fact that they did not want to accept Christianity), on the site of their settlement Twangste - the Sudeten king Ottokar II founded the city of Koenigsberg.

In 1410, after the defeat of the Teutonic Order by the Commonwealth, Koenigsberg could become a Polish city. But then the Polish kings limited themselves to the fact that the order became their vassal. When the Commonwealth began to weaken, on the lands of the Teutonic Order arose first the Electorate, then the Duchy of Prussia.

At the beginning of the XVI century. Albrecht from the Hohenzollern dynasty, which established itself in Brandenburg in 1415, was elected grand master of the Teutonic Order, which became its vassal after the Thirteen Years' War with Poland (1454-66) (Prussia's fief dependence on Poland remained until the 60s of the 17th century).

The Duchy of Prussia united with Brandenburg in 1618, which created the core of the future German Empire. In 1701, Elector Frederick III received the title of king from the emperor of the "Holy Roman Empire" (in exchange for a contingent of troops for the upcoming War of the Spanish Succession). The Brandenburg-Prussian state became a kingdom. After Berlin became its capital instead of Koenigsberg, a new history began for the whole of Germany - imperial.

Under King Frederick II (reigned 1740-86), about 2/3 of the annual regular budget was spent on military needs; The Prussian army became the largest in Western Europe. In Prussia, the militaristic police-bureaucratic regime (the so-called Prussianism) was being strengthened. Any manifestation of free thought was mercilessly suppressed. In order to expand its territory, Prussia waged numerous wars. During the War of the Austrian Succession of 1740-48, Prussia captured most of Silesia. In the Seven Years' War of 1756-63, Prussia intended to seize Saxony, which had not yet been captured by part of Pomerania, Courland and strengthen its influence on the small German states, respectively weakening the influence of Austria on them, but suffered a major defeat from Russian troops at Gross-Jägersdorf (1757) and in Battle of Kunersdorf 1759.

Koenigsberg in 1758 for the first time became a Russian city. Even the issue of coins of the "Prussian province" was launched. In 1760, Russian troops occupied Berlin, the capital of Prussia. Only disagreements between the main opponents of Prussia (Austria, Russia, France) and the accession to the Russian throne after the death of Elizabeth Petrovna (1761) of Holsteingottorp Duke Peter III saved Prussia from disaster. Peter III made peace and an alliance with Frederick II, and in 1762 he withdrew Russian troops from East Prussia, and returned the city to Friedrich. As a result, for many years Prussia remained an ally of the Russian tsars, as well as a commercial and technological bridge between Russia and Europe.

PROVINCE OF RUSSIA

The Seven Years' War began in 1756 with several battles between the armies of Austria and France against the Prussian troops. The Russian army under the command of Field Marshal Apraksin set out on a campaign against Prussia in the spring of 1757 from Riga in two directions: through Memel and Kovno. She entered the territory of Prussia, advanced beyond Insterburg (Chernyakhovsk). Near the village of Gross-Egersdorf (now defunct, Chernyakhovsky district) on August 30, in a fierce battle, the Russian army defeated the Prussian troops under the command of Field Marshal Lewald. The way to Koenigsberg was open!

However, the troops unexpectedly turned back and left Prussia through Tilsit. Only the town of Memel remained in Russian hands. The reason for the retreat of the Russian army is still a topic of controversy. But it is believed that the real reasons were the lack of food and loss of people. That summer, the Russian troops had two opponents: the Prussian army and the weather.

In the second campaign against Prussia in the autumn of 1757, General-in-chief Willim Vilimovich Fermor (1702-1771) became the head of the army. The task was the same - at the first opportunity to occupy Prussia. At three o'clock in the morning on January 22, 1758, Russian infantry set out from Kaimen and by eleven o'clock occupied the suburbs of Koenigsberg, which actually ended up in the hands of the Russians. By four o'clock in the afternoon, Fermor at the head of the detachment drove into the city. The route of its movement was as follows: from the side of present-day Polessk, Frunze Street leads to the city center (the former Koenigstrasse, and during the period of the events described - Breitstrasse, in Russian documents of that time this street was translated literally as “Broad Street”). On it, Fermor with his retinue, following through a crowd of curious spectators, drove into the castle. There he was met by representatives of the Prussian authorities, led by Lesving, and presented with the "keys to the city" (rather, of course, a symbol that marks a historical event).

By the way, in Konigsberg, when Russian troops entered it, there were eighteen churches, of which 14 were Lutheran, 3 were Calvinist and one was Roman Catholic. There were no Orthodox, which was a problem for the Russian residents who appeared. Found a way out. The Russian clergy chose the building, later known as the Steindamm Church. It was one of the oldest Königsberg churches, founded in 1256. Since 1526, Polish and Lithuanian parishioners have used it. And on September 15, 1760, the consecration of the church was solemnly held.

It should be noted that the victors behaved peacefully in Prussia. They provided the inhabitants with freedom of belief and trade and gave them access to the Russian service. Double-headed eagles replaced the Prussian ones everywhere. An Orthodox monastery was built in Koenigsberg. They began to mint a coin with the image of Elizabeth and the signature: Elisabeth rex Prussiae. The Russians intended to settle firmly in East Prussia.

But in Russia there is a change of power. Empress Elizaveta Petrovna dies and Peter III ascends the Russian throne, as you know, an ardent supporter of Frederick II. In a treatise dated May 5, 1762, Peter III unconditionally gave Frederick II all the territories previously occupied by the Russians. On July 5, the Königsberg city newspaper was already published, crowned with the Prussian coat of arms. The transfer of power in the provinces began. On July 9, a coup took place in Russia and Catherine II ascended the royal throne, but nevertheless Russian rule in Prussia was ending. Already on August 5, 1762, the last Russian governor of Prussia Voeikov F.M. (1703-1778) received an order to finally proceed with the transfer of the province, from now on not to interfere in the internal affairs of Prussia, to allow the Prussian garrisons to occupy fortresses.

September 3, 1762 - the beginning of the withdrawal of Russian troops from Prussia. And on February 15, 1763, the Seven Years' War ended with the signing of the Treaty of Hubertusburg. Frederick II died of a cold on August 17, 1786 in Potsdam, leaving no direct heir. He was therefore succeeded by his nephew Friedrich Wilhelm II, who was born on September 25, 1744, at the time of his coronation he was 42 years old. Under this king, the Friedrich system of government began to collapse and the decline of Prussia began. Under him, Prussia lost its importance as the leading power within Germany. This inglorious king died on November 16, 1797. Friedrich Wilhelm III ascended the throne.

DIE HARD SURRENDED WITHOUT A FIGHT

In the second half of the 18th century, the Pillau fortress was one of the most powerful Prussian fortresses. It had five bastions, was reinforced with ravelins, surrounded by a moat with water and an auxiliary rampart - a counterguard. Inside the fortress, powder magazines, a grain warehouse, an arsenal, a commandant's house, a church, rooms for soldiers were equipped. In general, the fortress was an exceptionally tough nut to crack. It was not by chance that the symbolic keys to it (as well as from the Friedrichsburg Gate in Koenigsberg) were presented on January 21, 1758 to the commander-in-chief of the Russian troops, General Fermor, in the Royal Castle: the Seven Years' War was going on ...

Russian troops entered Pillau on January 24 without encountering armed resistance. The burgomaster and members of the magistrate, with swords, went out to meet a small detachment of Major Wigant ... The bell ringing was heard in the city. And soon all the citizens already swore allegiance to the Russian Empress Elizabeth, daughter. It is interesting that in Russia only nobles swore allegiance to emperors, while in Prussia this right was granted to everyone. And history has not recorded cases of evasion of the oath.

The first Russian commandant of Pillau was Major Engineer Rodion Gerbel, a well-known builder of fortifications. His father, Nicholas Gerbel, came to Russia from Switzerland in the times of Peter the Great and participated in the construction of St. Petersburg. Russified as much as it was possible. He baptized his son according to the Orthodox custom.

Rodion Nikolaevich Gerbel studied for two years (1731-1732) in Koenigsberg, at an engineering school, then - in 1744 - visited East Prussia as part of the Russian embassy, ​​heading in a roundabout way to Stockholm. By the way, together with his classmate at the engineering school Larion, the father of the future field marshal. Rodion Gerbel participated in all the key battles of the Seven Years' War: at Gross-Egersdorf, Zondorf, Kunersdorf, the siege and capture of Memel and Koenigsberg.

Subsequently, the surname Gerbel will be inscribed in the history of Russia more than once: the grandson of Rodion Nikolaevich, Karl Gustavovich Gerbel, the Knight of St. George, will distinguish himself in 1807 in the battle of Preussisch-Eylau, and in December 1812 - January 1813 he will triumphantly pass through Tilsit and Koenigsberg to Hamburg. And the great-grandson - Nikolai Gerbel - will become a famous Russian writer.

Gerbel commanded at Pillau for a year. He managed to organize a customs service and control over navigation through the strait. Then - departed with the troops for the Vistula, to solve the next military task. He was replaced as commandant by Colonel Freiman, after whom Major Wigant was appointed. Wigant was replaced by Colonel Khomutov, and from 1760 to 1762 this duty was performed by Colonel Girshgend. At this time, thanks to the Governor-General of Corfu, a Russian dam appeared in Pillau. It was a very important project. The harbor that existed in Pillau was small for Russian ships. Therefore, a new, wider one was built on the site, which was called Maulshillen (i.e. "slap in the face"). A number of icebreakers stood here, and the coast was fortified with 10,000 fascines, i.e. special bundles of brushwood. The length of the dam was 450 meters (today this place is called the Russian Embankment). Prussian peasants were involved in the construction, but they were released during the harvest. By the way, the Russian army was provided with food through supplies from Russia. Such was the strange occupation. Not at all burdensome for the occupied territories. However, local residents still made attempts to resist.

King Frederick the Great, being outside of East Prussia, incited people loyal to him to fight the "occupiers". Communication was maintained through Pillau's postmaster Ludwig Wagner. Using his mail channels, Wagner passed on news and money collected by like-minded people to the king. He was sure that he was beyond suspicion: according to some reports, the Russian governor of Prussia, von Korf, was very interested in his, Ludwig, sister Maria. In addition, Wagner himself made friends with a couple of Russian officers.

But... at the beginning of 1759, several residents of Pillau (in particular, the inspector for construction and licenses Lange and Captain von Hambeau, under whose command the prisoners were in the fortress) drew up a plan on how to free the fortress from Russian "usurpation". The plan was ridiculous - if only because fifty people knew about it. Both in Pillau and in Koenigsberg. Naturally, someone reported on the "Pillau conspiracy" of the Russian administration.

That same evening, Wagner learned that Lange and Hambeau had also been arrested. All the conspirators were sent to Koenigsberg. June 28, 1759 Ludwig Wagner was sentenced to death by quartering. But Empress Elizabeth pardoned Wagner, and he was "only" exiled to Siberia. Having passed through Moscow, Solikamsk, Tomsk, Yeniseisk and other cities, Wagner ended up in Tobolsk - exactly at the time when, after the death of Elizabeth Petrovna, her nephew Peter III, an ardent admirer of Frederick the Great, inherited the Russian throne.

Peter III immediately made peace with the adored Prussian king, returned Prussia to him - and Wagner, no longer considered an exiled conspirator, set off on his return journey. He did not find his sister alive. The cause of her death remained unknown. But it was rumored that the beautiful Maria, in her turn, not indifferent to the governor-general of Corfu, withered away after she turned into the "sister of the conspirator."

Wagner sent a "Memorandum" to the king. Having listed in detail everything that he had lost, he presented Frederick with a bill of 6,000 thalers. The king received Wagner in Potsdam, lined up a guard of honor, drew his sword, solemnly said "Welcome from Siberia!", But did not give money. But he again appointed Wagner postmaster at Pillau.

Subsequently, Wagner will write a book of memoirs about his Siberian misadventures, and a street in Pillau will be named after him (now it is a lane named after A.S. Pushkin). And in memory of the time when East Prussia belonged to Russia, a monument to Empress Elizabeth was erected in Baltiysk. For some reason - an equestrian statue ...

Interestingly, the fortress of Pillau, which surrendered to the Russians without firing a shot, in 1807 became one of the three Prussian fortresses that fiercely resisted Napoleon's troops. The commandant of the fortress was then 76-year-old Colonel von Herrmann, a most curious personality: for example, he spent his everyday sleep ... in a coffin. Explaining his quirk by the fact that at his venerable age it's time to get used to the "wooden box". When the French demanded that Pillau be handed over to them, Herrmann gathered a garrison in the courtyard of the fortress, ordered the coffin to be brought and told the audience: “Friends! As long as I'm alive, I won't give up the fortress. Here is my coffin. Which of you will survive me, I hope, will put me, your boss and commander, in this coffin. Here, in the presence of all of you, I will once again repeat the oath that I took a long time ago, upon entering military service, to my monarch, to my state. All those in whom military honor lives, I ask you to repeat: "Prussia or death!"

And the garrison held out heroically. The French lost 122 killed and wounded. One cannonball fired by the defenders of Pillau fell right into the muzzle of the French cannon, which shattered into pieces, which pretty much cut the Napoleonic artillerymen ... The fortress did not give up for eight days. It is not known how this whole story would have ended, but on June 26, 1807, a truce was concluded in Tilsit.

royal gate

Kaliningrad is one of the most mysterious and unusual cities. This is a place where old Koenigsberg and modern Kaliningrad coexist at the same time. Shrouded in secrets and legends, this city attracts a large number of tourists. Famous people such as the great philosopher Immanuel Kant lived here, and the fantastic stories of Ernest Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann are known to many around the world. This place is also remarkable for the fact that magnificent coronations of kings took place here, scientific discoveries were made, and precious works of art were kept. The historical past is still felt at every step: cobbled streets, forts, church churches, order castles, the neighborhood of German, Soviet and modern architecture.

History of Kaliningrad

The history of Kaliningrad (Königsberg) and the Kaliningrad region has more than 8 centuries. Prussian tribes lived on this land for a long time. In the XIII century. Knights of the Teutonic Order came to the territory of the South-Eastern Baltic, who subdued the autochthonous population living here. In 1255, a fortress was built on the elevated bank of the Pregel River and named "Königsberg", which means "Royal Mountain". There is a version that the fortress is named after the Czech king Przemysl (Pshemysl) II Ottokar, who led the crusade to Prussia. Near the castle, three small but closely connected cities gradually formed: Altstadt, Kneiphof and Löbenicht. In 1724, these cities officially merged into one city with the common name of Königsberg.

In 1544, the Albertina University was built in the city by the first secular ruler, Duke Albercht, making Königsberg one of the centers of European science and culture. It is reliably known that the Russian Tsar Peter I visited Koenigsberg as part of the Great Embassy.

In 1657, the Duchy of Prussia freed itself from feudal dependence on Poland, and in 1701 Frederick III, Elector of Brandenburg was crowned Frederick I, making Prussia a kingdom.

In 1756, the Seven Years' War began, during which Russian troops occupied the territory of the kingdom, after which the inhabitants of Prussia took an oath of allegiance to the Russian Empress Elizaveta Petrovna. Thus, until the death of the Empress, this territory was part of the Russian Empire. In 1762, Prussia was again returned to the German crown. After the partitions of Poland in the 18th century. Prussia received part of the Polish territories. Since that time, the territory on which the Kaliningrad region is now located has become known as East Prussia.

View of the Cathedral

Before World War II, Königsberg was a large and beautiful city with a developed infrastructure. Residents and guests of the city were attracted by numerous shops, cafes and fairs, beautiful sculptures, fountains, parks - there was a feeling of a garden city. In 1933 A. Hitler came to power in Germany. The Second World War began. In August 1944, as a result of two British air raids, most of the city was turned into ruins. In April 1945, Russian troops stormed Koenigsberg. After World War II, on the basis of the decisions of the Yalta and Potsdam conferences, since 1945, a third of the former East Prussia began to belong to the USSR, and from that moment a new stage in the history of the amber region begins. By a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of April 7, 1946, the Königsberg region was formed here, which became part of the RSFSR, and on July 4 its administrative center was renamed Kaliningrad, and the region was renamed Kaliningrad.

Today, many wonderful corners of the former Königsberg, artifacts of the past, create a unique aura of Kaliningrad. Königsberg, like the disappeared Atlantis, beckons and calls for searches and new discoveries of the already known and still unknown. This is the only city in Russia where you can find genuine Gothic, Romano-Germanic style of architecture and the modernity of a big city.