{"id":3566,"date":"2021-04-29T12:28:05","date_gmt":"2021-04-29T12:28:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/?p=3566"},"modified":"2022-01-18T23:27:06","modified_gmt":"2022-01-18T21:27:06","slug":"fort-xi-kaliningrad-hosts-retro-car-club-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/fort-xi-kaliningrad-hosts-retro-car-club-day\/","title":{"rendered":"Fort XI Kaliningrad Hosts Retro Car Club Day"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Fort XI (Fort D\u00f6nhoff) Revisited<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Published: 29 April 2021 ~ Fort XI Kaliningrad<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The classic cars had been assembled in two parallel lines. Even though there were as many as 15 or 20, they were lost, engulfed by the vast piece of open ground on which they were parked in front of a landmark that has earnt itself the dubious reputation of being Kaliningrad\u2019s most ugly whilst, ironically, most iconic post-war building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am referring, of course, to that concrete anomaly that replaced the beauty that was K\u00f6nigsberg Castle, the House of Soviets ~ a building much loved by western journalists in their quest to mythicise Russian austerity, and for all those who earnestly believe that nothing ever changes for the better, a reassuring reminder that their nihilism is not unfounded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"House
‘H’ for House of Soviets ~ it has the same ambiguous appeal as Marmite<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Fort XI Kaliningrad: Retro Car Club Day<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The classic cars lined up on the paved expanse belonged to members of the Kaliningrad Retro Car Club. The cars were standing in front of the House of Soviets as a prelude to being driven cavalcade fashion on to Fort D\u00f6nhoff, the eleventh of the twelve forts that form the outer ring of the city of K\u00f6nigsberg\u2019s nineteenth century defence system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we were a few minutes early for kick-off, I used the time available to snap a few pictures, both of the cars and the House of Soviets. Rumour has it that after 50 years of non-occupation due to its having been constructed on ancient tunnels that rendered it unsafe the moment it was built (and yet it is still here?), the days of the controversial House of Soviets may be finally numbered. I can hear Elton singing “I’m still standing” and Leonard Cohen reminding us that \u201cYou hear these funny voices in the Tower of Song \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Camper<\/figure>\n\n\n\n