{"id":1532,"date":"2020-06-14T19:06:08","date_gmt":"2020-06-14T19:06:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/?p=1532"},"modified":"2021-10-04T17:34:50","modified_gmt":"2021-10-04T17:34:50","slug":"max-aschmann-park-kaliningrad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/max-aschmann-park-kaliningrad\/","title":{"rendered":"Max Aschmann Park Kaliningrad"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 84 [11 June 2020]<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Published: 14 June 2020<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We were outside and walking down the street! It felt alien\nand wonderful at one and the same time. \u2018O brave new world that has such people\nin’t!\u2019 And, as I reflected on recent events in the western media, by the\nkindness of history, where we were today, no such people innit \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We were on the way first to the post office to post a letter\nto my mother and family, which I had started writing in March but had not\nposted due to coronavirus close-down, and then our mission was to find the\nwhereabouts of K\u00f6nigsberg\u2019s Max Aschmann Park.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Previous articles:
Article 1: Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 1 [20 March 2020]<\/a>
Article 2: Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 6 [25 March 2020]<\/a>
Article 3: Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 7 [26 March 2020]<\/a>
Article 4: Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 9 [28 March 2020]<\/a>
Article 5: Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 10 [29 March 2020]<\/a>
Article 6: Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 16 [4 April 2020]<\/a>
Article 7: Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 19 [7 April 2020]<\/a>
Article 8: Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 35 [23 April 2020]<\/a>
Article 9: Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 52 [10 May 2020]<\/a>
Article 10: Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 54 [12 May 2020]<\/a>
Article 11: Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 65 [23 May 2020]<\/a>
Article 12: Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 74 [1 June 2020]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Max Aschmann Park Kaliningrad<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We knew it was not far away, and we were aware that it is a park of some magnitude, but our objective was to discover the way in, so that at some point in the not-to-distant future we could lessen the more austere effects of isolating by going on a picnic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was a beautiful summer\u2019s day and Kaliningrad was at its greenest and, therefore, at its best. On the way we bought a couple of ice creams and stopped off at a small park not far from where we live. In the centre of this park, and a few feet away from where we were sitting, was a Soviet statue. \u00a0I winked at him. \u201cYou\u2019re safe mate,\u201d I thought. \u201cThis is not the UK.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Proceeding from here, feeling extremely grateful that I was far enough away from the multicultural malaise that is now, as Enoch predicted, blighting every aspect of British daily life and threatening to obliterate its cultural identity, we spotted, peeping through a small fringe of trees at the side of the road, another monument. Further investigation revealed that this great carved slab of granite sitting on a concrete plinth and vandalised only by the same natural influence that vandalises our bodies ~ Time ~ was German and of K\u00f6nigsberg origin, dedicated to 100 graduates of\u00a0the Altstadt\u00a0Gymnasium who lost their lives during the First World War.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"K\u00f6nigsberg
WWI MONUMENT, K\u00d6NIGSBERG (Kaliningrad), IN MEMORY OF 100 GRADUATES OF THE ALTSTADT GYMNASIUM WHO DIED IN THE FIRST WORLD WAR <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As the photograph in this post shows, the monument is flanked by two trees which, as the architects intended, have now grown into mighty and impressive sentinels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Altstadt
WWI GERMAN MONUMENT K\u00d6NIGSBERG<\/em> (Kaliningrad) MARAUNENHOF SUBURBS<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Criss-crossing the streets a couple of times, and feeling a\nlittle foolish asking people \u2018do you know where the Max Aschmann Park is?\u2019\naware as we are that the park is huge, our bearings suddenly returned to us.\nOlga declared, \u201cWe are on the road that leads to the yellow church.\u201d I also\nknew that this road led to a couple of caf\u00e9 bars, which I also knew, courtesy\nof Coro, sadly would be closed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the heat of the day, against the green and blue backdrop of trees, shrubs and sky, a reference to this time last year flashed through me. It was a little schizophrenic moment, a duality of emotion, part sorrow, part joy ~ one rooted in grievous loss, the other in poignant memory. For a split second I saw, and quite vividly, our deceased friend Victor Ryabinin<\/a> walking by our side, as he could well have been in life. The moment passed as quickly as it had arrived, and I was left with that bittersweet sensation to which we are helpless when we miss someone dear to us, something between chasmic wistfulness and eternal gratitude, the longing for yesterday softened by the sense of privilege for paths that could so easily not have crossed on our strange little journey through life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My wife, being an advocate of predeterminism, saw it as a\nfait accompli ~ whatever will be is meant to be ~ and she must be right,\nbecause in next to no time, after a brief excursion into the grounds of an\ninteresting church, we arrived at the undisclosed entrance to Max Aschmann\nPark. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We had never been here with Victor, but Boris Nisnevich does refer to it in his biographical essay An artist that can hear angels speak<\/em>.<\/a> Victor cites the park as one of the places that had been earmarked for restoration, although rumour has it that whilst some remedial work has been undertaken the project has stalled. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Max<\/figure>
\n

The Max Aschmann Park<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Max Aschmann Park was named after its benefactor who, in 1903 bequeathed the Maraunenhof estate to the city of K\u00f6nigsberg together with a substantial sum of money to aid in the park\u2019s construction. The 25-hectare park took seven years to complete. By the 1940s the park had been greatly improved and expanded. It was now approximately three times the size of the original and equipped with an elaborate network of ponds, natural habitats ringed and intersected with paths and bridges, woodland groves, sporting facilities, playgrounds, curious buildings and monuments. As with most of K\u00f6nigsberg, the park fell victim to the Second World War and, thereafter, was neglected. Its abandoned status made it the perfect venue for itinerant drinkers and a place to rendezvous for impromptu barbecues, further contributing to its fall from grace. Sporadic maintenance has taken place in more recent years and plans for a more elaborate renovation programme are known to have been discussed. Victor Ryabinin, artist and local historian, refers to such in Boris Nisnevich’s biographical essay An artist \/that can hear angels speak<\/a><\/em>, but rumour has it that any plans that may have been discussed have been postponed indefinitely which, if true, is rather sad. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Our meeting today with Max Aschmann would be brief. As I said earlier, we were on a reconnaissance mission. But we followed the winding block-paved road that led to the park and tarried awhile in the wooded perimeter at the side of a large pond, a delightful interlude interwoven with beaten tracks and so natural that you could have been anywhere, anywhere that is except in the suburbs of a bustling city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Max
WOODLAND POND IN THE MAX ASCHMANN PARK, FORMER K\u00d6NIGSBERG<\/em> , NOW KALININGRAD<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We wended our way home via a different route, stopping off\nat a magazin<\/em> for victuals and, oh yes, a couple of litres of beer. Well,\nit was such a nice day after all …<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of these beers, a monopolistic mainstay of the Soviet era, has an interesting history, which, if I can remember anything about it after drinking the beer, I will jot down for your edification. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hmm, it will soon be time to open Mick\u2019s Bar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Copyright \u00a9 2018-2021 Mick Hart. All rights reserved.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 84 [11 June 2020] Published: 14 June 2020 We were outside and walking down the street! It felt alien and wonderful at one and the same time. \u2018O brave new world that has such people in’t!\u2019 And, as I reflected on recent events in the western media, by the kindness […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[75,6],"tags":[463,465,459,462,460,461,466,467,59],"class_list":["post-1532","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-diary-2019-2020","category-kaliningrad-mick-harts-diary","tag-altstadt-gymnasium","tag-an-artist-that-can-hear-angels-speak","tag-kaliningrad-statues","tag-maraunenhof-estate-konigsberg","tag-max-aschmann-park-kaliningrad","tag-max-aschmann-park-konigsberg","tag-max-aschmann-park-restoration","tag-mick-hart-max-aschmann-park","tag-victor-rybinin"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2469,"url":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/an-autumn-walk-in-kaliningrad\/","url_meta":{"origin":1532,"position":0},"title":"An Autumn Walk in Kaliningrad","author":"Captain Codpiece","date":"31 \u043e\u043a\u0442\u044f\u0431\u0440\u044f, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"A walk to Max Aschmann\u00a0Park Published: 31 October 2020 We never did keep that appointment we promised ourselves and go for a picnic this summer in K\u00f6nigsberg's Max Aschmann Park, but prompted by the delightful autumnal weather, all sun and blue skies, we did walk to the park today and,\u2026","rel":"","context":"\u0412 "DAILY LIFE in KALININGRAD"","block_context":{"text":"DAILY LIFE in KALININGRAD","link":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/category\/daily-life-in-kaliningrad\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"An Autumn Walk in Kaliningrad","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Kaliningrad-in-autumn-Street.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Kaliningrad-in-autumn-Street.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Kaliningrad-in-autumn-Street.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Kaliningrad-in-autumn-Street.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Kaliningrad-in-autumn-Street.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3758,"url":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/kaliningrad-street-food-festival-a-cathedral-of-taste\/","url_meta":{"origin":1532,"position":1},"title":"Kaliningrad Street Food Festival a Cathedral of Taste","author":"Captain Codpiece","date":"17 \u043c\u0430\u044f, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Food festival in the grounds of K\u00f6nigsberg Cathedral Published: 17 May 2021 ~ Kaliningrad Street Food Festival On 9th May, after honouring Victory Day by paying our respects at the Mass Grave of Soviet Soldiers and the Monument to 1200 Guardsmen, we were driven by our hosts, Arthur and Inara,\u2026","rel":"","context":"\u0412 "Diary 2021"","block_context":{"text":"Diary 2021","link":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/category\/kaliningrad-mick-harts-diary\/diary-2021\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Kaliningrad Street Food Festival","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Food-Fair-Ladscape.jpg?fit=1152%2C532&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Food-Fair-Ladscape.jpg?fit=1152%2C532&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Food-Fair-Ladscape.jpg?fit=1152%2C532&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Food-Fair-Ladscape.jpg?fit=1152%2C532&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Food-Fair-Ladscape.jpg?fit=1152%2C532&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2217,"url":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/happy-birthday-konigsberg\/","url_meta":{"origin":1532,"position":2},"title":"Happy Birthday K\u00f6nigsberg","author":"Captain Codpiece","date":"15 \u0441\u0435\u043d\u0442\u044f\u0431\u0440\u044f, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"K\u00f6nigsberg ~ 756 years old Published: 15 September 2020 My wife was recently thrilled to discover that her birthday fell on the same day as K\u00f6nigsberg\u2019s. On the 1st September 2020 K\u00f6nigsberg turned 756. Olga felt relieved and grateful that K\u00f6nigsberg was considerably older than her, whilst I feel like\u2026","rel":"","context":"\u0412 "K\u00d6NIGSBERG"","block_context":{"text":"K\u00d6NIGSBERG","link":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/category\/konigsberg\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Olga Hart places flowers at Kant's tomb","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Olga-placing-flowers-2.jpg?fit=612%2C1183&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Olga-placing-flowers-2.jpg?fit=612%2C1183&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Olga-placing-flowers-2.jpg?fit=612%2C1183&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2635,"url":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/stas-kaliningrad-konigsberg-guide-has-died\/","url_meta":{"origin":1532,"position":3},"title":"Stas Kaliningrad K\u00f6nigsberg Guide has Died","author":"Captain Codpiece","date":"2 \u0434\u0435\u043a\u0430\u0431\u0440\u044f, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"The loss of an indispensable friend Published: 2 December 2020 It is with great sadness that I report that our dear friend Stas (Stanislav Konovalov) passed away recently from post-operative complications whilst undergoing hospital treatment. My wife, Olga, and I met Stas in January 2019. We were introduced to him\u2026","rel":"","context":"\u0412 "Diary 2019\/2020"","block_context":{"text":"Diary 2019\/2020","link":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/category\/kaliningrad-mick-harts-diary\/diary-2019-2020\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Stas Kaliningrad K\u00f6nigsberg Guide","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Stas-I-on-balcony.jpg?fit=720%2C960&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Stas-I-on-balcony.jpg?fit=720%2C960&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Stas-I-on-balcony.jpg?fit=720%2C960&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Stas-I-on-balcony.jpg?fit=720%2C960&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14320,"url":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/winter-in-kaliningrad\/","url_meta":{"origin":1532,"position":4},"title":"Winter in Kaliningrad can be both harsh and beautiful","author":"Mick","date":"24 \u0444\u0435\u0432\u0440\u0430\u043b\u044f, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Some snowy scenes of Kaliningrad in winter. The thaw is on, but it\u2019s not spring yet!","rel":"","context":"\u0412 "Kaliningrad Photogallery"","block_context":{"text":"Kaliningrad Photogallery","link":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/category\/visitors-guide-to-kaliningrad\/kaliningrad-photogallery\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Old K\u00f6nigsberg fire hydrant snow-capped: winter in Kaliningrad","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/rz-Fire-Hydrant-Kaliningrad.jpg?fit=760%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/rz-Fire-Hydrant-Kaliningrad.jpg?fit=760%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/rz-Fire-Hydrant-Kaliningrad.jpg?fit=760%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/rz-Fire-Hydrant-Kaliningrad.jpg?fit=760%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3447,"url":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/spring-brings-people-out-in-kaliningrad\/","url_meta":{"origin":1532,"position":5},"title":"Spring Brings People Out in Kaliningrad","author":"Captain Codpiece","date":"12 \u0430\u043f\u0440\u0435\u043b\u044f, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 394 [12 April 2021]And what has all this got to do with coronavirus and self-isolation? Published: 12 April 2021 ~ Spring Brings People Out in Kaliningrad With the temperature shooting up to a \u2018very nice spring day\u2019 18 degrees, my wife, Olga, had no difficulty\u2026","rel":"","context":"\u0412 "Diary 2021"","block_context":{"text":"Diary 2021","link":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/category\/kaliningrad-mick-harts-diary\/diary-2021\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Spring Brings People Out in Kaliningrad","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/People-out-in-Kaliningrad-Rz-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C554&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/People-out-in-Kaliningrad-Rz-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C554&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/People-out-in-Kaliningrad-Rz-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C554&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/People-out-in-Kaliningrad-Rz-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C554&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/People-out-in-Kaliningrad-Rz-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C554&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1532","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1532"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1532\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1532"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1532"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1532"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}