{"id":2217,"date":"2020-09-15T19:02:19","date_gmt":"2020-09-15T19:02:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/?p=2217"},"modified":"2020-09-15T19:03:16","modified_gmt":"2020-09-15T19:03:16","slug":"happy-birthday-konigsberg","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/happy-birthday-konigsberg\/","title":{"rendered":"Happy Birthday K\u00f6nigsberg"},"content":{"rendered":"
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K\u00f6nigsberg ~ 756 years old<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Published: 15 September 2020<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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 I am catching up with K\u00f6nigsberg every day that goes by.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On hearing about this coincidence of birthdays, I suggested that we show our respects to the old city on which Kaliningrad is founded by travelling to what was once the cultural and spiritual centre of K\u00f6nigsberg, the cathedral, and wish K\u00f6nigsberg a happy birthday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Olga bought some flowers to mark the occasion, a pretty basket display, which she placed at the gate to Immanuel Kant\u2019s tomb at the side of the 14th century cathedral. We then walked to the front of the cathedral, noting as we did that one section was undergoing renovation and that the cathedral parvis had been re-laid with cobbles in which a twin section of serpentine tram track had been sunk, thus creating a more accurate picture of how it once would have looked. Other improvements ~ some complete, some still work in progress ~ also caught our eye.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was a beautiful day, as our photographs show; one of those early autumn days which brings people out in droves but winds them down into relaxation mode. It was not difficult, therefore, to get someone to take a photograph of us next to the model of Kneiphof Island, one of the three towns in the middle ages that comprised the city of K\u00f6nigsberg and the area in which the cathedral stands today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was all well and good, but we still had not yet toasted K\u00f6nigsberg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happy Birthday K\u00f6nigsberg<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

By and by, we found what we considered to be the perfect location on the elevated approach to the cathedral entrance. With my large vodka flask to hand, a kind and useful gift from our neighbours last Christmas, we accomplished our objective: Happy Birthday K\u00f6nigsberg!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Happy\"Happy<\/div>
Mick & Olga Hart: Happy Birthday K\u00f6nigsberg<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Having respected history and become a small part of it ourselves, we took a slow stroll to the river bridge for more photographs in front of the K\u00f6nigsberg Stock Exchange and of the now complete Planet Ocean Exposition globe across the other side of the water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Mick
Mick Hart with K\u00f6nigsberg Stock Exchange<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"Planet
Planet Ocean Exposition globe, Kaliningrad, Russia, 2020<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There was one last visit to make. As we were in Victor Ryabinin territory, we decided to make the emotionally difficult but appropriate pilgrimage to the door of the building where Victor\u2019s studio<\/a> had been located. As Olga said, had Victor been here today he would have been with us and would have been proud to have toasted K\u00f6nigsberg\u2019s birthday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The building where the studio used to be is under scaffolding at the moment. We stood at the open entrance, and I saluted him and the building for all those memorable times we had spent together here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Mick
Mick Hart at entrance to stairwell leading to the former Studio of artist Victor Ryabinin,
K\u00f6nigsberg-Kaliningrad 2020<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

From Victor\u2019s, we decided we would wend our way homewards via Kaliningrad\u2019s famous war memorial. To do this we would have to cross over Dvukhyarusny Bridge. I hope that this bridge is preserved, as it is a landmark of the city. I love walking across the old buckled steel plate pathway that runs along the side of this bridge and gazing out across the Pregel River for the unique perspective it offers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Dvukhyarusny
Dvukhyarusny Bridge, Kaliningrad 2020<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Crossing over the busy road on the other side, it is possible to escape the traffic by following a section of road leading to the war memorial where traffic is restricted. This road climbs a hill between an avenue of mature trees with Victory Park on the left-hand side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Monument to 1200 Guardsmen is an awe-inspiring sight. Set in a vast semi-circular walled and paved space, a central obelisk, its ascending sections carved and embossed with WWII battle scenes, rises triumphantly into the sky; an \u2018eternal flame\u2019 burns in its foreground and the whole ensemble is flanked by two larger than life figural groups depicting soldiers charging into battle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Obelisk
Obelisk at the Monument to 1200 Guardsmen, Kaliningrad, Russia, September 2020<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n